By Pradip More*  It is a fact that the majority of the people do not have much knowledge about the law, and especially the Constitution. Yet, today's younger generation is becoming increasingly aware of its rights. One wished it would have been good if it was taught about the Constitution well in the schools.

Counterview Desk  Addressing “fellow citizens”, the Constitution Conduct Group (CCG), having former prominent civil servants as it members, has said that recent assertions by National Human Rights Commission National Human Rights Commission Justice (retd) Arun Mishra, the Prime Minister and General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff, portent a deliberate and disturbing strategy to “deny civil society the space and wherewithal for its operation.”

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  One of the major accusations against Indian historians is that of neglecting and ignoring the role of the marginalised in the freedom struggle. Most of the time, we are ‘informed’ that there were some ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’ of the freedom movement, all of them belonging to the same stock of caste as well as ‘power’ positions as their opponents.

By Harsh Thakor* On November 24 fell the 10th death anniversary of Kishenji, a prominent Maoist leader, he was also a poet, a scientist, and a soldier. Since his school days he dreamt of planting the seed to create new man. Born in 1954 in Peddapally town (in Karimnagar district, north Telangana), Kishenji was raised by his father Venkataiah (a “freedom fighter”, he called him) and a progressive mother, Madhuramma.

By Sandeep Pandey, Seema Muniz, Gopal Krishna Verma* Some people are disheartened with the disruption in children’s education due to the menace of Covid and the successive lockdowns. While a number of children are getting used to attending online classes, their counterparts from the weaker socio-economic backgrounds continue to struggle either because of unfamiliarity with technology or because of having to share a single device with their siblings and/or parents. More unfortunate ones have been completely pushed out of the system which has resulted in the virtual drop in the rate of enrolment.

Counterview Desk  In an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than 70 economists have urged the Government of India to release “adequate funds” for implementing the rural jobs guarantee scheme under the MGNREGA immediately, pointing out that the pandemic continues to adversely affect the living condition of working families.

By Simi Mehta* Human Trafficking is a deeply engraved issue in the world. This issue isn’t exclusive to any state or region, but South Asia and some parts of the developing world are more deeply impacted by it than anywhere else. It has been stagnant for quite a while without any progress upon the same. The state of human trafficking after a disaster and conflict when the state, police, or the army is in dismay is worth highlighting. To highlight the issue and deliberate over the book “Disaster and Human Trafficking”, the IMPRI Centre for Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development (CECCSD) , IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute, New Delhi hosted a Book Discussion on ‘Disaster and Human Trafficking‘ by Prof Mondira Dutta under #WebPolicyTalk. The discussion was flagged off by the chair of the session, Prof V. K. Malhotra, Member Secretary, Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi. At the start, he gave a brief about his experiences of working with the auth...

By Shamsul Islam* The Constituent Assembly of India finalized the Constitution of India on November 26, 1949 which is celebrated as the Constitution Day This Constitution promised new born Indian Republic a polity based on democracy, justice, egalitarianism and rule of law. However, RSS was greatly annoyed. Four days after the historic event of approval of it, the RSS English “Organiser” in an editorial on November 30, 1949, complained:

Counterview Desk  Commenting on the arrest of Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez, India’s top human rights advocacy group, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has said that the Government of India action is “one more attempt ... to silence peaceful, non-violent dissenters”, adding, it suggests how “a brutalizing state machinery" has been acting.

By Dr Poonam Munjal, Dr Palash Baruah* The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The role of health as an engine of economic growth is not entirely unsubstantiated. Investments in health care lead to better, healthier lives for the populace, which in turn, increases productivity, and creates an efficient workforce, thereby significantly adding to the social and economic progress of any country. It is in this context that the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) has a target to “Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages” by 2030. Healthcare and people’s well-being has been one of the greatest priorities of government at all levels – central, state and local. This has assumed critical importance since the advent of an unprecedented health crisis in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world. Governments have had to spend ...

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* The progressive Odia daily newspaper ‘Dharitri’ organised ‘Odisha Youth Conclave on Climate Change’ while celebrating its 48th birthday on November 24, 2021. In a profit driven mass media industry with its rent seeking family ownerships, it is rare these days for newspapers to think about people and planet. The ‘Dharitri’ and its family deserve all appreciation for being different and carrying forward the alternative visions for a better tomorrow based on peace, prosperity and environmental sustainability. The ‘Dharitri Youth Conclave 2021’ was well attended by elderly dignitaries, officials and students with youthful spirit. The elderly dignitaries and official spokespersons have followed their well scripted speeches and delusional self-praise, whereas there were sparkling hopes in the voices of participating students and young people in the conclave. They managed to outline the alternative visions for a sustainable future while focusing on predicaments of cl...

By Shrey Ostwal, Sandeep Pandey*  The pivotal point of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s journey to become Mahatma Gandhi began when his “political guru” – Gopal Krishna Gokhale – advised young Mohandas to travel around India. This rigorous journey was essential for Mohandas to understand his country and countrypersons better if he were to fight the inhumane and unempathetic British regime which had been looting India of its glory for about two centuries then.

By Arjun Kumar  A #WebPolicyTalk on Global Value Chain (GVC) and participation in it of the Indian economy, organized under the series of ‘The State of Foreign Trade- #Talking Trade and by the Centre for Finance and Economics, Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), New Delhi, saw Prof Takahiro Sato sought to highlight the role of the Indian manufacturing industries and their place it GVC, even as seeking to contrast it with the economies of China and ASEAN countries.

By Shankar Sharma* This line of thinking, as suggested in the following links, can be said to be very unfortunate and disastrous for the humanity: China urges developed countries to take the lead in cutting out coal ; There’s an $80-billion hole in India’s climate pledge ; After Glasgow, world needs urgent action to stave off catastrophe ; and Sixty years of climate change warnings: the signs that were missed (and ignored) . The two of the largest, densely populous and highest polluters, India and China, seem to have commonality at least on such irresponsible line of thinking. Have the bloated bureaucracy in these two counties failed to convince their political leaders that the level of fossil fuel burning as we seem them today, which can only increase exponentially in a BAU scenario, and the larger threats of Climate Change will devastate every section of our own people much before impacting the rich countries? The inevitability of the calamitous abuse of our natural resources becau...

Counterview Desk  Taking strong exception to Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who has favoured nuclear energy as a solution to global warning, well-known power and policy analyst Shankar Sharma has said that the IAEA chief's “unsubstantiated advocacy” of nuclear power is associated with “diversion of considerable amounts of scarce resources, both financial as well as natural, of many developing countries, such as India.”

By Our Representative  Displaced Khori Gaon residents have begun what they have called 'chithhi andolan' (letter movement) after a large gathering on the Delhi border in order to remind the authorities that till now, the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad, Haryana, under whom they come, has not provide any basic facilities to them despite the fact that about 10,000 of their houses have been demolished.

By Ajit Singh* In a surprise move, the Prime Minister of India in a video message that went live on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti announced to scrap three contentious farm laws in the upcoming winter session of Parliament. These laws were notified in September last year but put on hold due to widespread opposition, especially by farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.

Farmers celebrate withdrawal of three laws By Harsh Thakor  Punjab farmers have no doubt won a historic battle in overpowering the farm laws with the support of the working class, students, youth and intellectuals. Noticeably, the non-sectarian approach of the participating organisations, which confronted Hindutva neo-fascism, Sikh separatist politics and Indian and foreign corporate monopoly, helped in enhancing their striking capacity.

By Arjun Kumar Over the past few years, we have witnessed a series of devastating climate disasters in various parts of the world that led to wide-scale destruction and loss of livelihoods. It is indisputable that changes in the global climate have amplified the risks of climate hazards and extreme weather disasters. These calamities have not only made us revisit our practices and work towards sustainable development but have also raised questions on our current disaster resilience plans. On the 13th of October, which is celebrated as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, the IMPRI Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies (CHURS) organized a panel discussion on ‘Disaster Resilient Spatial Planning: Perspectives on Local and Regional Governance and Impact’. This discussion was held as part of the #WebPolicyTalk series #LocalGovernence. The distinguished panel included Dr. Nivedita P. Haran, Former Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala, Dr. Divya Sharma, Exe...

By Soumyadip Chattopadhyay*  Each year, October 31 is celebrated as the World Cities Day. The theme this year was Adapting Cities for Climate Resilience. The Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), New Delhi, organized a special lecture on city as environment as part of the discussion under the #WebPolicyTalk series on the State of Cities -- #CityConversations.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The Hindi film industry in Bombay has contributed immensely in the growth of peace, solidarity and secular nationalism, and progressive popular culture in India. The actors, directors, singers, artists, producers and writers of Bollywood have challenged power and stood behind people and their citizenship rights by upholding highest traditions of art and cinema.

By Our Representative  MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), which is said to have provided a cushion to millions of rural households amidst great economic distress during the Covid-19 pandemic, continues to be bogged with poor implementation, NREGA Sangharsh Morcha has alleged.

A Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) note on workshop organised for the need to strengthen systems to ensure rights of informal workers in the backdrop of new labour codes: *** The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), an NGO working on legal empowerment and access to justice, organised a capacity building program on issues facing workers. The aim of the event was to discuss the current system of labour registration and the effect of the new labour codes on the registration process and social security of unorganised workers. The program witnessed participation of labour activists, social workers and Labour Entitlement Facilitators (LECs) from the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Over 60 participants from different districts of these states shared their views on the existing registration process of unorganised workers and the practical difficulties faced by them. The Supreme Court during the first lockdown had ordered the Central Government to develop a mechanism for registrat...

Air pollution in Delhi By Shankar Sharma*  In view of the fact that the recently concluded COP26 has failed to assure the global community that the country governments have committed to do all that is feasible in order to minimise the worst impacts of Climate Change, there is an urgent need for civil society in India to urgently consider what can be done to protect our poor and vulnerable sections from the fast looming threats.

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  Our farmers know the way, go the way and show the way! Thanks to their relentless struggle and their great sacrifices, for all of us – the three anti-farmer laws have finally been repealed. For more than a year now – with blood, sweat, toil and tears, their protest has continued unceasingly. In heat and cold, in the pouring rain and under the blistering sun – they did not stop!

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The announcement for repealing the three notorious farm laws that were passed by Parliament is definitely a big victory for the farmers' movement and those who have been protesting against these unjust laws for the last one year. The government failed to the extent that BJP lost one of its oldest allies Akali Dal when the government took this decision; it felt that farmers would be tired of the protests and would go back to home after some time, but that did not happen.

Counterview Desk Safai Sena, in partnership with Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group* and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), organized a cycle rally on November 16 in New Delhi as an awareness campaign to reduce air pollution and create safe spaces for cyclists and pedestrians on the road. 

By Harsh Thakor*  At least 26 Maoists, all said to be belonging to CPI (Maoist), were recently killed in what was reported as a fierce encounter with security forces in a dense forest in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district. Four policemen were also injured in the encounter and were taken to Nagpur for treatment.

By Amita Singh Book “The Light of Asia: The Poem that Defined the Buddha” is a compelling and comprehensive account of the epic poem of the same name authored by Sir Edwin Arnold that was first published in 1879. The book goes into intricate detail to unearth the nuances present in one of the richest narrative poems ever written. A book discussion on, ‘The Light of Asia: The Poem that Defined The Buddha’, a narrative of the life and message of the Buddha was organized on the 7th of October by the Center for Human Dignity and Development at the Impact and Policy Research Institute ( IMPRI ), New Delhi. The distinguished panelists included the Author and Speaker Jairam Ramesh, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (Karnataka); Author and Former Union Minister, Prof Tansen Sen, Professor of History, Director, Center for Global Asia, NYU Shanghai; Global Network Professor, NYU, Prof Wasantha Seneviratne, Professor and Head, Department of Public and International Law, Faculty of Law, Univers...

By Rosamma Thomas*  “Democracy is not a system but the natural tendency of India,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the 82nd session of the All India Presiding Officers’ Conference over a video call. This apex body of the legislatures of India celebrates its 100th year this year. Meanwhile, in Prime Minister Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi, people displaced for various beautification projects have been appealing for the rehabilitation earlier promised.

By Arjun Kumar The Indian real estate sector contributes around 6 percent to the GDP and this figure is expected to rise to 13 percent by 2025. The housing sector has a great future ahead as mortgage penetration is very low in India and the family size is large. Emphasizing on the significance of the housing sector and the changes it has went through over the course of the pandemic, #IMPRI Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies (CHURS) , IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute, New Delhi presented a special lecture with Prashant Thakur on The Housing Market amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic as part of the series The State of Cities – #CityConversations. Dr. Rumi Aijaz, Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi, welcomed the speaker and discussants before delivering his enlightening comments. He said, “The housing sector does not need an introduction. Its significance is very well understood.” It is also important as it offers opportunities to various stakehol...

Counterview Desk The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCD), representing "concerned" former civil servants of the All India and Central services, has alleged that India’s plummetting rank in key global indices "amounts to violation of Constitutional provisions", regretting, Government of India, instead of expressing concern at the decline and attempting to stop the deterioration, "has been more concerned with attacking the reports and surveys and stating that they are wrong or deliberately misleading."

By Our Representative  In a major campaign, as many as 11,000 villages will light a lamp on November 26 to "honour and protect" the Indian Constitution, which is allegedly under great duress today. As part of the campaign, spearheaded by Martin Macwan of the Dalit rights NGO Navsarjan Trust, Gujarat, he has also sought support from all sections of public for the removal of the statue of Manu from the premises of the Rajasthan High Court.

By Soumyadip Chattopadhyay*  Consideration of small and medium towns as well as the uniqueness of each city is imperative while planning urban cities. Noting this, the Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies (CHURS), Impact and Policy Research Institute ( IMPRI ), New Delhi presented a discussion with Prof Manoj Parmar and Dr Binti Singh on “India’s Smart Cities Mission: Light Houses?” as part of The State of the Cities – #CityConversations.

By Sudhansu R Das Construction of National Highways for the movement of goods and services, agro processing industries, storage, godowns, super markets, commercial farming and advanced agriculture technologies etc are unable to check the rising food price in the country. The food price in the country has skyrocketed adding to hunger, malnutrition and stunted growth; it gives pain to people during the pandemic when people have lost income sources. One drumstick costs Rs 12 in Mumbai, Rs 15 in Pune and Rs 14 in Hyderabad when drumstick trees grow abundantly in the Indian climate. The tomato is sold at Rs 80 per kg in Hyderabad in winter season, brinjal at Rs 75 per kg in Mumbai. Besides vegetables, the cost of food grains and edible oil has become very costly due to various reasons. Fuel price rise, high transportation cost, increase in the cost of cultivation, growing demand from agro processors, growth of hotel chains, sourcing of food crops by super markets, shrinking of fertile ag...

By Mansee Bal Bhargava*  As a governance scholar-teacher-learner, it is an undying belief that the individual is the core unit and thus influences any governance decision and action. Besides, a belief that grounded-local solutions are key to any large (regional-national-global) problems like climate change. This belief can be extended to the philosophy of self-organization, which is also fundamental to governance research and practice.

By Gladson Dungdung*  Since the death of the 84-year-old renowned human rights activist Fr Stan Swamy (trained as a Jesuit priest), in judicial custody on July 5, 2021, which was actually an institutional murder orchestrated by the Indian state, a billion-dollar question has arisen in the minds of millions in India and abroad. Was Fr Stan Swamy a martyr or a traitor?

By Shamsul Islam*  An aggressive campaign to rehabilitate VD Savarkar (1883-1966) as great Indian freedom fighters is under way. He is considered as a legendary Indian nationalist, freedom fighter who spent 50 years in the Cellular Jail [CJ]. Multiple mercy petitions of his are hailed as his effort to secure freedom in order to work for uprooting the British rule. Last but not the least, he is glorified as a rationalist who fought against untouchability.

Counterview Desk  Kirity Roy, Secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), and National Convenor, Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI), Hooghly, West Bengal, in a letter to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman, has alleged “extra-judicial execution” of a poor young Dalit, Prakash Barmar, who was “shot dead on his head from point blank” by the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on the Bangladesh border.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Kushinagar is celebrating the life and achievements of Bhadant Gyaneshwar Mahasthivir, the Monk in Chief of Mahaparinirvan main temple. He completed his 85th birthday on November 10. Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh is one of the foremost prominent places for the Buddhists all over the world as Buddha delivered his last sermon here and met his ‘Mahaparinirvana’. Recently, Kushinagar was linked with international aviation circuit as a new airport has just been inaugurated here a couple of weeks back.