Issue Briefs

Human Rights & Law

Effects of Maternal Incarceration on the Well-Being of the Child

Abstract This essay focusing on maternal incarceration analyses how keeping the mother in custody can turn punitive for her child. In India, when mothers are incarcerated, their children under the age of 6 accompany them in prison. Otherwise, most children end up homeless. This piece uses National Crime Records Bureau [NCRB] data, judgements, and ethnographic […]

Human Rights & Law

The Urgency of Creating Trans-Inclusive Healthcare: An Exploration of Healthcare Barriers faced by Trans men in India

ABSTRACT Historically, the trans community has faced stigma, discrimination, violence, and social exclusion. This has also manifested in the form of health inequities leading to poor health outcomes, a high burden of mental health problems, and unmet healthcare needs. Within the umbrella term of ‘trans’, there exists a knowledge gap for trans men, those who […]

Environment and Energy

Analysing the case of Coastal Development in India’s Western Coast: Karnataka

ABSTRACT India’s 7,516 kilometres long mainland coastline is home to over 13,000 marine species and is a source of employment for over 20 lakh people. An extensive coastline, though lucrative for a country’s economic development, also makes the country vulnerable to geopolitical and climate change threats. Due to their economic significance, coastal areas have become […]

Governance

India’s Approach to Data Decolonisation: Moving Away from the “Data as Resource” Metaphor

ABSTRACT This paper critically examines India’s data governance framework and its geopolitical dimension. It does so specifically within the context of standard-setting frameworks of the United States, the European Union, and China. These frameworks conceptualise data as a resource and revenue-generating economic asset. This work argues that while the Indian government has been vocal about […]

Economy and Society
Environment and Energy

The Role of Indian Banks in the Climate Crisis

Abstract The financial sector is responsible for large-scale investments in the fossil fuel industry. The current global warming and climate change trends demand urgent scrutiny of the sector’s investments. There is a need for the financial sector to invest in projects and companies that adhere to sustainable business practices. In doing so, banking and financial […]

Governance

Inter-state Police Cooperation: Challenges, Policy Framework, and the Way Forward

ABSTRACT Interstate police arrest procedures of police are increasingly being discussed in public discourse. Recently, a news anchor made headlines in light of a tussle between the Chhattisgarh police and Uttar Pradesh police for his arrest. In May this year, the Delhi police and Punjab police faced similar public scrutiny over the arrest of a […]

Environment and Energy

Natural-disaster And Displacement In Assam: The Case Of Floods And Impact On Marginalised Communities

  ABSTRACT 2021 saw the largest displacements due to disasters. One of the impacts of climate change has been the increased variability and uncertainty around rainfall patterns which drastically increase the risk of floods. The magnitude of these floods is projected to increase further in the coming years, amplifying the risk of population displacement. Floods […]

Human Rights & Law

Marital Rape Exception: Challenges and Arguments 

ABSTRACT Marital rape refers to the act of sexually assaulting one’s spouse. It is a crime in most countries except thirty nations including India. Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code [IPC] defines and criminalises rape but contains an exception clause for when it happens between a married couple. This exception declares ‘sexual intercourse by […]

Foreign and Defence Policy

India-Central Asia Energy Relations: Prospects and Barriers

ABSTRACT This issue brief critically examines the prospects of the India-Central Asia energy relations and trade. Central Asian countries hold strategic and geoeconomic significance for India, especially for energy cooperation. The existing literature highlights two limitations regarding this trade. First is the limited connectivity to the region, and second is the presence of great powers […]

Human Rights & Law

Transcending the ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ Approach in Law-Making: Twin Conditions Restricting Bail

ABSTRACT When confronted with complex challenges of law and order, governance, or social reform, Indian lawmakers routinely resort to enacting statutory provisions copied verbatim from previous laws. For example, the provision that imposes harsh conditions on bail is the same for the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985 [NDPS Act], the Drugs and […]

Environment and Energy

Green Hydrogen Energy in India: Can we give the ‘Green’ signal yet?

Abstract The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways for India recently arrived at the Parliament House in a ‘hydrogen-fuelled’ car. This occurred in the backdrop of the Ministry of Power [MoP] announcing the first phase of the ‘Green Hydrogen Policy’ on 17 February 2022. The policy aims to cut down greenhouse emissions and promote […]

Environment and Energy

The Green Grids Initiative: A Must for India to Reach Net-Zero?

Abstract  This paper aims to provide an overview of the Green Grids Initiative, focusing on the implementation, benefits, and drawbacks of the initiative in India. It introduces COP26 as a concept and the various agreements in the energy sector, followed by the history and the goals of the initiative, the implementation of the initiative, and […]

To indicate indicate The Omnipresent Pandemic: Cyber Crimes against Women and Children A person holding a black credit card against a laptop screen that shows a big red symbol and words like "junk mail" "password" "security" "spam mail"
Human Rights & Law

The Omnipresent Pandemic: Cyber Crimes against Women and Children

ABSTRACT This article seeks to identify the scale at which cyber crimes and cyberattacks are increasing in India by taking women and children as the focus group. India’s cyberspace is expanding faster than ever before, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. People have started using the internet as a source of entertainment, work, […]

Human Rights & Law

Caste and the Cord-Cutters: Traditional Midwives at the Crossroads of Social Stigma and Dwindling State Support

Abstract This paper aims to situate dais or traditional midwives at the crossroads of caste-based discrimination and dwindling state support. A lot of traditional midwives or dais hail from a lower caste background which stigmatises their position and work in the society. With time, institutional healthcare facilities came to be associated with upper caste ideas […]