The article advocates for increased public spending on health to build robust and equitable health systems. It highlights India's low public health expenditure (2.1% of GDP) compared to global recommendations (5% of GDP by WHO). The author stresses the need for improved governance, transparency, and accountability in the health sector to ensure efficient resource utilization. Achieving health equity and universal health coverage requires a conscious shift from a fragmented, private-dominated system to one prioritizing public health infrastructure and services.
- Increased public spending on health is crucial for building strong and equitable health systems.
- India's current public health expenditure is significantly lower than global recommendations.
- Better governance, transparency, and accountability are essential for effective utilization of health resources.
This article reflects on the state's response to student movements, drawing parallels with historical instances of suppression. It argues that ignoring student grievances and using force only exacerbates the situation, as seen during the Emergency. The author emphasizes the importance of dialogue, democratic processes, and addressing the root causes of student unrest. The piece suggests that a state's failure to engage constructively with its youth can lead to deeper societal issues and a loss of trust in democratic institutions.
- The article draws parallels between current state responses to student protests and historical instances of suppression, such as during the Emergency.
- It argues that the state's use of force and neglect of student grievances can lead to deeper alienation and mistrust.
- The author emphasizes the importance of democratic dialogue and addressing the root causes of student unrest.
The article highlights the ongoing Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, exacerbated by drought conditions. Karnataka faces pressure to release water despite its own reservoirs being low, leading to political tensions. The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) are central to managing the dispute, but their decisions often face political resistance. The situation underscores the challenges of inter-state water sharing, especially during periods of water scarcity, and the political implications for both states.
- The Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu intensifies due to severe drought conditions affecting both states.
- Karnataka is under pressure from the CWMA and CWRC to release water, despite its own reservoirs having low storage levels.
- Political rhetoric and protests in both states complicate the implementation of water-sharing decisions.
India's urban growth and development depend critically on effective water management, yet many city water systems are fragile, marked by high non-revenue water, low wastewater treatment, and poor cost recovery. A focused agenda within a single political term can stabilize urban water services. This involves rethinking water sources by treating rainwater and treated wastewater as mainstream supplies, improving efficiency through clear responsibilities, better measurement, and modernized customer services. Additionally, it requires redesigning tariffs and subsidies for equity and reforming investment appraisal to consider full lifetime costs and environmental impacts. The goal is to shift from counting connections to managing performance and resilience, investing in operations and local capacity.
- Urban India's water systems are fragile, characterized by high non-revenue water, inadequate wastewater treatment, and poor cost recovery.
- A single political term can significantly improve urban water services through a focused agenda.
- Rethinking water sources to include rainwater harvesting and treated wastewater as mainstream supplies is crucial.
The Supreme Court sought the Union government's response on a petition challenging the interpretation of the "merger" exception under Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (anti-defection law). Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, the petitioner, argued that the current interpretation allows a legislature party to effect a "deemed merger" without formal party approval, potentially turning an electoral majority into a minority. He contended that this has "huge repercussions" for the polity and can alter electoral verdicts. While the Bench acknowledged the concerns, it initially expressed disinclination to intervene, suggesting it was a matter for Parliament or political parties, but ultimately issued notice on the plea.
- The Supreme Court sought the Union government's response on a plea challenging the interpretation of the anti-defection law's "merger" exception.
- Petitioner Kapil Sibal argued that the current interpretation of Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule allows for "deemed mergers" without formal party approval.
- Sibal contended that this interpretation has significant repercussions for the polity, potentially altering electoral verdicts and turning majorities into minorities.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has removed public access to its website's "cut list," which details changes ordered in films, displaying "under maintenance" for days. This move prevents public scrutiny of film censorship, particularly regarding politicization of content and suppression of anti-establishment themes. The Hindu previously reported how CBFC's cuts reflected these trends. While cut lists are accessible via QR codes on film certificates through the e-Cinepramaan portal, their removal from the main website raises transparency concerns and indicates a weakening of CBFC's institutional norms, especially after recent accusations of delaying certification for several films.
- The CBFC website's "cut list," detailing changes ordered in films, has been inaccessible for days, showing "under maintenance."
- This removal hinders public scrutiny of film censorship, especially concerning politicization and suppression of certain themes.
- The inaccessibility raises transparency concerns and suggests a weakening of CBFC's institutional norms.
The Bombay High Court allowed Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to initiate legal proceedings against Meta, Google, X, and other unnamed entities over social media content falsely linking him to the Centre's Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP). Justice Abhay Ahuja granted leave for Gadkari to file a substantive civil suit seeking removal of the defamatory content and ₹11 crore in damages. Gadkari clarified that he had no role in the EBP's policy decisions, despite serving as Union Minister for Road Transport since 2014. He identified at least 24 defamatory posts and intends to approach the Supreme Court on the matter.
- The Bombay High Court permitted Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to sue Meta, Google, and X over defamatory social media posts.
- The posts falsely link Gadkari to the Centre's Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) policy decisions.
- Gadkari seeks the removal of the content and ₹11 crore in damages.
The Supreme Court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to include an independent forensic auditor in the reconstituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged donation theft at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. Calling for a "qualitative and impartial" investigation, a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant also ordered the SIT to submit a status report within two weeks. The court emphasized the need for first-hand experience in the investigation, referring to a previous three-member committee that had uncovered prima facie evidence of fraud. The State government agreed to the inclusion of an auditor with expertise in forensic auditing.
- The Supreme Court ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to include an independent forensic auditor in the SIT investigating alleged donation theft at the Ram Temple.
- The court emphasized the need for a "qualitative and impartial" investigation into the misappropriation of trust funds.
- The SIT is directed to submit a status report on the probe's progress within two weeks.
The Union government introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha, proposing stricter penalties for examination paper leaks, including up to 10 years in jail and a ₹50 lakh fine. This move came amidst uproar from Opposition members demanding a discussion on police action against protesting students. Speaker Om Birla brokered a truce, with a debate scheduled for Tuesday. The Opposition plans to widen its offensive by raising issues like the alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement and ethanol-blended fuel, aiming to challenge the government and gain political ground, especially with the Cockroach Janta Party spearheading Gen-Z protests.
- The Union government introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in Lok Sabha.
- The Bill proposes stricter penalties for paper leaks, including up to 10 years in jail and a ₹50 lakh fine.
- The introduction was met with Opposition protests demanding a discussion on police action against student protesters.
V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT-Madras and a member of the high-powered task force revamping the National Testing Agency (NTA), stated that "trust" is the biggest challenge in preventing exam leaks. He emphasized the need for trustworthy teachers to set question papers and maintain confidentiality. Professor Kamakoti highlighted that every individual and process in the exam hierarchy, from question generation to exam centre administration, must be held directly accountable through a clear organizational structure. While AI can assist with tasks like translation, human oversight remains crucial for verifying accuracy, especially for inclusive exams conducted in multiple languages.
- The Director of IIT-Madras identified "trust" as the primary challenge in preventing exam leaks.
- He stressed the importance of trustworthy personnel in setting question papers and maintaining confidentiality.
- Clear organizational structures are needed to ensure direct accountability for every individual and process in the exam hierarchy.
The Supreme Court indicated it would seek suggestions from a high-powered task force, headed by former UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani, on transitioning the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Undergraduate (NEET-UG) to a computer-based test (CBT). This development follows the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination due to a paper leak. The Centre informed the Bench that a high-powered task force was constituted to address the matter. The top court directed the Centre to file an affidavit outlining its roadmap for implementing reforms and a cybersecurity framework, emphasizing the need for comprehensive changes to ensure examination integrity.
- The Supreme Court will seek guidance from a task force on transitioning NEET-UG to a computer-based test (CBT).
- This move follows the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 due to a paper leak.
- A high-powered task force, led by Nandan Nilekani, has been constituted by the Union government to address the examination issues.
The Supreme Court has renewed focus on the unresolved CBSE On-Screen Marking (OSM) controversy, which affected nearly 18 lakh Class XII students. Despite the widespread impact, the response was less robust than to NEET irregularities. The OSM process faced issues like portal glitches, payment failures, and blurred scans, denying many students equal opportunity to verify evaluations. The court highlighted concerns about the integrity of the evaluation system. A proposed "seven-day framework" could restore transparency by providing universal access to evaluated answer scripts, allowing verification of completeness and authenticity, and enabling re-evaluation of genuine grievances, thereby strengthening public trust and accountability.
- The CBSE On-Screen Marking (OSM) controversy affected nearly 18 lakh Class XII students, raising concerns about evaluation integrity.
- Many students were denied equal opportunity to verify their evaluations due to procedural and technical flaws in the OSM review process.
- The Supreme Court emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in the evaluation system.
Amid concerns of fertilizer shortage and over-use of chemical fertilizers, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the National Investment Policy for Urea (NIPU)-2026. This policy aims to achieve self-reliance in urea production, currently reliant on imports, by encouraging new investments in gas-based urea manufacturing units. Key changes include separating fixed and variable costs for transparency, introducing a Return on Equity (RoE) band of 12-16%, and mitigating foreign exchange risk. The government emphasizes promoting balanced and efficient fertilizer use through Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) to ensure sustainable nutrient management and long-term soil fertility.
- India approved the National Investment Policy for Urea (NIPU)-2026 to achieve self-reliance in urea production.
- The policy encourages new investments in gas-based urea manufacturing units to reduce dependence on imports.
- Key changes include transparent cost separation, a 12-16% Return on Equity (RoE) band, and foreign exchange risk mitigation.
Pralhad Joshi, the new Union Education Minister, inherits a range of structural reforms initiated under his predecessor, Dharmendra Pradhan, focusing on implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Key initiatives include the National Curriculum Framework, Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill (VBSA), PM SHRI schools, the three-language formula, and new teacher-training programs. Common themes across these reforms are performance evaluation, skilling-education convergence, and promoting a vision of Indianness, often facing implementation challenges and criticisms of centralisation. Foundational literacy, teaching quality, and higher education flexibility remain works-in-progress, with funding gaps and resistance from State universities hindering progress.
- Pralhad Joshi takes over as Union Education Minister, continuing reforms initiated under NEP 2020.
- Key ongoing initiatives include the National Curriculum Framework, Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, PM SHRI, and the three-language formula.
- Reforms aim for performance evaluation, skilling-education convergence, and promoting a specific vision of Indianness.
India's youth face a severe scarcity of quality jobs despite expanded education, leading to intense competition for government positions. Only about 15 million out of 127 million employed youth hold regular salaried jobs with social security. Graduates face the highest unemployment rate at 22.7%, significantly higher than those with less education. The transition from school to work is broken, with a mismatch between wage expectations and available entry-level pay. Government jobs are highly sought after because they promise merit-based selection, bypassing private sector hiring networks often shaped by class, caste, and family. This structural problem requires reshaping growth to generate opportunities as fast as education generates aspirations.
- Despite expanded education, India faces a severe scarcity of quality jobs, with only a small fraction of youth holding regular salaried positions.
- Graduates experience the highest unemployment rate (22.7%), indicating a broken school-to-work transition and a mismatch between aspirations and available jobs.
- Government jobs are highly coveted due to their promise of merit-based selection, offering an alternative to private sector hiring influenced by social networks.
The Cockroach Janta Party's movement highlights the urgent need for economic reforms to create more employment for India's youth. While India has expanded education, the labour market struggles to absorb aspirations, leading to high unemployment, especially among graduates. The author argues that fixing the education system alone is insufficient; the basic economic structure must be reformed. India's economic growth has been a laggard in employment elasticity since the 1990s, and increasing AI adoption could worsen this. Learning from China's "people-first" ideology, India needs policies that prioritize workers' rights, ensure training, and protect against layoffs, making "ease of living" subordinate to "ease of doing business."
- The Cockroach Janta Party's movement underscores the political urgency of economic reforms to generate youth employment.
- India's economy has shown low employment elasticity since the 1990s, meaning GDP growth has not translated into sufficient meaningful jobs.
- The increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is projected to exacerbate unemployment challenges.
India's journey to Viksit Bharat by 2047 depends on AI's productivity gains being broadly shared, especially with informal women workers who constitute 82% of working women. While AI holds promise for agriculture and micro-enterprises, its design must be gender-responsive to avoid amplifying stereotypes and discrimination. Key priorities include conducting gender impact assessments for AI systems, developing AI literacy as public infrastructure tailored to women's time constraints and literacy levels, and ensuring digital safety to combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence. These measures are crucial for AI to empower informal women workers, enabling meaningful access to tools and opportunities, and contributing to truly inclusive economic growth.
- AI's potential for India's inclusive growth hinges on its ability to empower informal women workers, who form a significant portion of the workforce.
- Gender-responsive AI design is crucial to prevent the amplification of stereotypes and discrimination, ensuring equitable access and benefits.
- Implementing gender impact assessments for AI systems is necessary to evaluate outcomes across various demographics and ensure accessible redressal mechanisms.
India's proposed Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) III norms are crucial for the global shift to electrified powertrains and addressing India's dependence on imported crude oil. While the draft notification aims for ambitious emission reductions (113 gCO2/km to 77 gCO2/km by FY2031-32), several flexibility mechanisms, like the Carbon Neutrality Factor and super credits for hybrids/EVs, reduce its effective stringency. Unlike China's Dual Credit System that mandates NEV credits, India's system allows manufacturers to buy credits from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency at low prices, potentially hindering genuine technological transformation. Stronger, market-shaping regulations are needed to align with India's energy security and climate goals.
- India's CAFE III norms are vital for transitioning to cleaner mobility and reducing reliance on imported crude oil.
- The proposed norms aim for significant emission reductions but include flexibility mechanisms that may dilute their effective stringency.
- Unlike China's Dual Credit System, India's framework allows credit purchases from BEE at low prices, potentially hindering genuine electrification efforts.
Kerala has nominated Ashutosh Dash, a former Chief Engineer and Special Secretary to the Odisha government's Water Resources department, as its nominee to the Independent Panel of Experts (IPOE) on the Mullaperiyar dam. This nomination follows Kerala's protests over the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA)'s "unilateral" decision to remove its previous nominee, T.K. Sivarajan, from the panel. The NDSA had requested Kerala to nominate a new expert on June 25. The IPOE, created under the Dam Safety Act, 2021, comprises five members for a comprehensive dam safety evaluation of the Mullaperiyar dam.
- Kerala nominated Ashutosh Dash as its expert on the Independent Panel of Experts (IPOE) for the Mullaperiyar dam.
- The nomination came after Kerala protested the removal of its previous nominee, T.K. Sivarajan, by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA).
- The IPOE was established under the Dam Safety Act, 2021, to conduct a comprehensive dam safety evaluation.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court struck down Tamil Nadu government orders granting jobs to family members of Karur stampede victims. A Division Bench of Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel allowed public interest litigation petitions challenging the Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay-led government's decision. The court ruled that these appointments violated Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, which ensure equality. It stated that while the government termed it a humane gesture, it overlooked existing waitlists for compassionate grounds and that executive power must remain within constitutional confines to prevent chaos.
- The Madras High Court struck down government orders granting jobs to kin of Karur stampede victims, citing violations of constitutional principles.
- The court emphasized that appointments on compassionate grounds must adhere to specific guidelines and not bypass existing waitlists.
- It ruled that the government's executive power, under Article 162, must operate within the confines of the Constitution to ensure fairness.
The Supreme Court indicated it might frame uniform guidelines for police conduct during large-scale demonstrations, emphasizing the constitutional right to peaceful protest. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant stressed that discipline is integral to democracy and that police excesses should be independently examined. The court acknowledged injuries to both protesters and police personnel and highlighted the need for "self-imposed discipline" from both citizens and law enforcement. Senior advocate Vikas Singh urged the court to frame uniform guidelines due to widespread allegations of police excesses across the country, making a standard operating protocol necessary.
- The Supreme Court is considering framing uniform guidelines for police conduct during mass demonstrations to protect the constitutional right to peaceful protest.
- Chief Justice of India Surya Kant emphasized that police excesses must be independently examined and that discipline is crucial for democratic processes.
- The court acknowledged concerns over injuries sustained by both protesters and police personnel, stressing the need for self-imposed discipline from all parties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged young Indians to actively participate in nation-building, specifically by connecting with border villages through the Viksit Vibrant Village Programme 2026. He underscored the decisive role of youth in shaping India's future, highlighting the expanding reach of the Mera Yuva Bharat platform, which engages millions in national development. Modi also lauded the remarkable achievements of Indian youth in sports and science olympiads, emphasizing that their involvement broadens their understanding of the nation and strengthens their commitment to public service.
- PM Modi emphasized the decisive role of youth in India's future and nation-building.
- Youth are encouraged to connect with border villages through the Viksit Vibrant Village Programme.
- The Mera Yuva Bharat platform is expanding its reach, engaging millions of young citizens.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Mann Ki Baat address, highlighted India's continuous advancements in defence production, exports, and international cooperation. He emphasized the nation's growing technological capabilities, citing the indigenous design and construction of INS Mahendragiri, the successful testing of the Pinaka Long-Range Guided Rocket and Kusha missile, and significant defence agreements, such as those for BrahMos and Astra missiles with Indonesia. Modi asserted that global confidence in India's defence equipment and technology is steadily increasing, reflecting the country's progress towards an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.
- India is achieving new milestones in defence production and exports.
- The nation's technological capabilities in defence are continuously strengthening.
- Indigenous development, like INS Mahendragiri, is a symbol of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.
India's legal publishing system is fragmented and relies heavily on PDFs, making it challenging for citizens, lawyers, and courts to access, track, and understand laws and amendments. The article advocates for adopting open legal publishing standards, such as Akoma Ntoso, used globally, to improve accessibility, transparency, and democratic participation. By converting laws into structured markup languages, the system would allow for easier searching, tracking of amendments, and better engagement with legal documents, moving beyond the limitations of image-based PDF formats.
- India's current legal publishing system is inefficient, relying on fragmented PDF documents.
- This fragmentation hinders access, tracking, and understanding of laws and amendments.
- Adopting open legal publishing standards like Akoma Ntoso would enhance accessibility and transparency.