Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India, during its BRICS presidency in 2026, will work to give the grouping a "new form," emphasizing "Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability." He stated that India would take the forum forward in the spirit of "people-centricity and humanity first," mirroring its approach during the G-20 chairmanship where Global South issues were prioritized. Modi highlighted the need for global cooperation to combat common threats, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as an example where solutions require joint efforts. He also shared India's position on Artificial Intelligence governance, advocating for equal priority to addressing concerns and encouraging innovation. Modi held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, discussing trade linkages, digital technology, critical minerals, healthcare, and space.
- India will assume the BRICS presidency in 2026 and aims to redefine the grouping with a focus on "Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability."
- The Indian approach will prioritize "people-centricity and humanity first," similar to its G-20 chairmanship.
- PM Modi stressed the importance of global cooperation to address common threats, drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Women-led Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India significantly contribute to employment and GDP, yet they face persistent challenges, particularly limited access to formal credit. Despite government schemes like Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY), women-led MSMEs experience a credit gap of about 35%, compared to 20% for men. This disparity forces them to rely on riskier informal credit sources. Factors contributing to this include lack of awareness about schemes, low financial literacy, and perceived risk due to insufficient collateral or property ownership. Women-led informal micro-enterprises (IMEs) also struggle with formal credit due to lack of documentation, though the Udyam Assist Portal aims to address this by facilitating formal recognition. Administrative inefficiencies in scheme implementation further exacerbate these issues, despite increased liquidity in the banking system.
- Women-led MSMEs in India face a significant credit gap (35%) compared to men (20%), hindering their growth and financial independence.
- Despite government initiatives like Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY), a substantial portion of sanctioned funds does not reach women-led MSMEs.
- Lack of awareness, low financial literacy, and perceived risk due to insufficient collateral are major barriers for women entrepreneurs.
India's coastlines are experiencing profound social and economic disruption due to climate change, with rising seas, saltwater intrusion, and unregulated development displacing communities dependent on agriculture and fishing. Displaced populations are forced into precarious urban informal labour markets, lacking legal protection. Examples include Satabhaya in Odisha and communities in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Kerala. Industrial and infrastructural expansion, coupled with inadequate environmental clearances, exacerbate ecological degradation. The absence of a coherent legal framework for climate-induced migration leaves these communities vulnerable. While constitutional rights and environmental justice jurisprudence exist, their translation into robust, community-centric frameworks is lacking. Coastal communities have shown resilience through protests against destructive projects, highlighting the need for a rights-based approach in climate adaptation strategies.
- Climate change impacts, including rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion, are causing significant displacement and social disruption in India's coastal regions.
- Displaced populations often end up in informal urban labour markets, facing exploitation and lacking legal protections.
- Unregulated industrial and infrastructural development, along with inadequate environmental clearances, worsen ecological degradation and community vulnerabilities.
Despite formal recognition and inclusion in social protection schemes, gig and platform workers in India lack clear statistical visibility in primary labour data sources like the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS). The PLFS subsumes gig work under vague categories such as 'self-employed,' failing to capture its unique nature—multiple job roles, algorithm dependence, lack of formal contracts, and absence of safety metrics. This statistical invisibility hinders evidence-based policymaking, making access to welfare schemes uneven and exclusionary. The article calls for updating PLFS classification codes or introducing specific survey modules to distinctly capture gig work, ensuring inclusive policy for this growing workforce, projected to reach 23.5 million by 2029-30.
- Gig and platform workers, despite formal recognition, lack distinct classification in India's primary labour statistics, such as the PLFS.
- The current classification fails to capture the unique characteristics of gig work, including algorithm dependence and lack of formal contracts.
- This statistical invisibility hinders evidence-based policymaking and makes access to social security schemes uneven and exclusionary for gig workers.
A disturbing pattern of custodial deaths persists in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, with zero police convictions despite numerous reported cases. Data from 2016-2022 reveals 490 deaths in Tamil Nadu and 11,656 nationwide in judicial/police custody, with Uttar Pradesh reporting the highest number. While magisterial inquiries were ordered in 345 cases and 123 policemen arrested, none were convicted. The data also highlights a disproportionate targeting of Scheduled Castes (SCs) in preventive detentions in Tamil Nadu, where 38.5% of detenues were SCs compared to their 20% population share. This underscores a severe lack of accountability and systemic issues in policing and human rights enforcement.
- Custodial deaths are a persistent issue in India, with Tamil Nadu showing a significant number but zero police convictions.
- Despite arrests and chargesheets against police personnel for human rights violations, convictions remain negligible.
- Scheduled Castes are disproportionately targeted in preventive detentions in Tamil Nadu, indicating systemic discrimination.
India aims to be a global leader in AI governance, championing an inclusive and human-centric approach. However, this aspiration is undermined by the absence of a comprehensive, democratically anchored national AI strategy, with current initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission being insufficient. Unresolved questions about national priorities, governance values, and institutional structure pose risks of strategic dependencies and lack of democratic legitimacy. The author highlights critical risks in defense, critical infrastructure, employment disruption (e.g., 65,000 job cuts by top IT firms in 2024), and significant energy implications. A national strategy, developed through open public deliberation and parliamentary oversight, is crucial for harnessing AI for national leadership and public good.
- India's ambition to lead in AI governance is hampered by the lack of a comprehensive, democratically anchored national AI strategy.
- Current initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission are insufficient without clear national priorities and governance frameworks.
- Risks include strategic dependencies on foreign technologies, job displacement due to automation, and significant energy demands of AI.
Millions in India endure unnecessary suffering due to the lack of integrated palliative care, a specialized form of care focused on alleviating pain, reducing suffering, and improving quality of life for patients with terminal conditions. Despite global estimates indicating 78% of palliative care needs are in low and middle-income countries, only 1-2% of Indians requiring such care receive it. Key barriers include a shortage of trained professionals, limited funding, inadequate infrastructure, and low public awareness. The article advocates for integrating palliative care into the core MBBS curriculum, empowering allied health professionals, expanding insurance coverage like Ayushman Bharat to include palliative care, and launching public awareness campaigns to demystify its scope.
- Palliative care is crucial for alleviating suffering and improving quality of life for patients with terminal illnesses, yet it is severely underfunded and underutilized in India.
- Key barriers to effective palliative care delivery in India include a shortage of trained professionals, limited funding, and lack of public awareness.
- Recommendations include integrating palliative care into medical education, empowering allied health professionals, and expanding insurance coverage.
The article highlights the alarming frequency of fatal accidents in Tamil Nadu's firecracker manufacturing belt, particularly in Virudhunagar, challenging the notion that such incidents are unforeseeable. Despite numerous deaths and injuries reported annually, state regulation and enforcement of safety protocols remain inadequate. The Explosives Rules, 2008, clearly outline necessary precautions against fire and explosion, yet compliance is often lax. The piece calls for the state to leverage its authority to ensure strict adherence to regulations and to actively involve manufacturers in implementing safety measures, drawing a parallel with successful past efforts to curb child labour in the industry.
- Frequent fatal accidents in Tamil Nadu's firecracker industry, particularly Virudhunagar, underscore a failure in safety enforcement.
- Despite clear regulations like the Explosives Rules, 2008, laxity by manufacturers and inadequate state oversight persist.
- The article advocates for stronger state intervention and cooperation with manufacturers to prevent preventable tragedies.