RajivBuzz

  A public appeal by local advocate  Kamlesh S. Madhiwala  has drawn attention to a growing crisis in urban India’s smaller towns—the steady disappearance of accessible sports infrastructure and its ripple effects on children and youth.

  South Asia is at a critical crossroads as it faces a massive surge in waste generation that is set to nearly double by 2050, according to the  World Bank ’s latest " What a Waste 3.0 " report. The region, which currently produces 346 million tonnes of  municipal solid waste  annually, is projected to see a 99% growth in volume over the next quarter-century, fueled by rapid population growth and accelerating urbanization. 

After I was transferred as the Times of India representative in Gandhinagar, the Gujarat capital, in 1997, one of the many changes I noticed in my interaction with state officialdom and politicians was the kind of courtesies extended to me—even by those I would rarely meet. One such courtesy came in the form of a phrase I knew nothing about:  Micchami Dukkadam .

In its April 2026 South Asia Economic Update , the World Bank identifies India as the primary engine of regional growth, with the economy estimated to have accelerated to 7.6% in fiscal year 2025/26.  This macroeconomic surge, however, exists alongside a highly fragmented labor market where the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep-seated inter-state wage disparities—specifically between states like Kerala, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh—create a complex landscape for the workforce.

A comprehensive new study from Deakin University in Australia has delivered a sobering verdict on the Health Star Rating (HSR) system: after more than a decade of operation and multiple algorithm "improvements," the voluntary front-of-package labelling scheme continues to classify a significant proportion of ultra-processed foods and discretionary foods as healthy.

A new working paper by University of Cambridge economist Kaivan Munsh  has revealed how centuries-old social structures both boost and constrain business activity. Focusing on a growing body of economic research, the paper suggests that India's caste system—a network of endogamous communities dating back nearly two to four thousand years—plays a powerful and often overlooked role in shaping the country's economy.