Polity & Governance
Constitutional bodies, Parliament, judiciary and governance reforms
3 year after it was notified to offset Panna deforestation, NBWL panel approves irrigation project on 272 ha in Durgavati tiger reserve
The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) approved an irrigation project covering 272 hectares of forest land inside the Veerangana Du...
Inside Meghalaya’s rat-hole mines: 25 dead, a race against time, and a disaster long foretold
A dynamite explosion in an illegal coal mine at Mynsyngat in the Thangkso area of East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, killed at least 25 labourers in early Februa...
Should the Governor’s address be scrapped?
An opinion piece in The Hindu examines whether the Governor's address to state legislatures — mandated under Articles 175 and 176 of the Constitution — shoul...
Allow the Leader of the Opposition to speak
An editorial argued for stronger protection of the Leader of the Opposition's right to speak in Parliament, highlighting recent instances of the LoP being de...
Moral obligation can become a legal one: Delhi HC on granddaughter’s property rights
The Delhi High Court ruled on a petition filed by a granddaughter seeking maintenance from her grandfather, holding that a moral obligation can become a lega...
In a first since 2004, Lok Sabha passes Motion of Thanks on President's address without PM's response
The Lok Sabha passed the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address without a single vote cast against it — the first time this has happened since 2004, mak...
Did IndiGo abuse its market dominance? CCI orders probe into December’s mass flight cancellations
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has ordered an in-depth antitrust investigation into IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd), India's largest airline, fol...
Supreme Court ruling on menstrual hygiene invites a broader reckoning with gender and dignity
The Supreme Court's January 30, 2026 ruling in *Dr. Jaya Thakur v. Government of India & Ors.* (2026 INSC 97) invites a broader reckoning with structural gen...
President’s rule revoked in Manipur after a year, new CM to be sworn in today
President's Rule imposed in Manipur on 13 February 2025 — following the resignation of N. Biren Singh as Chief Minister amid widespread criticism of his gove...
There is no case for scrapping MPLADS funds
A commentary in The Hindu argues that there is no persuasive case for scrapping the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), pushing bac...
President's rule revoked in Manipur, Khemchand to be sworn in as new CM at 6 pm today
President Droupadi Murmu revoked President's Rule in Manipur on February 4, 2026, with immediate effect under Article 356(2) of the Constitution. The revocat...
Cash transfers now take 20% of state subsidies — 16th finance panel sounds alarm, seeks exit clauses
The 16th Finance Commission's report flagged that large-group unconditional cash transfers now constitute 20.2% of total state subsidy expenditure (2025-26 B...
FC bats for discom privatisation, debt clean-up via SPVs
The 16th Finance Commission, chaired by Arvind Panagariya, has recommended that states actively pursue privatisation of electricity distribution companies (D...
Decode Politics: RTI journey — From ‘dawn of a new era’ to fears of ‘tool for idle curiosity’
A long-form political analysis examined the trajectory of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 — two decades after its enactment — charting its evolution...
Decode Politics: How and why Manipur finally moved back towards an elected govt
On February 4, 2026, Manipur ended nearly a year under President's Rule with the swearing-in of BJP leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh as Chief Minister, accompan...
Finance Commission strikes a balance – addresses southern states’ concerns, and equity
The 16th Finance Commission released its report (covering 2026-31), introducing a revised horizontal devolution formula that addresses the long-standing grie...
A cautious nudge: On the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendations
The 16th Finance Commission, chaired by Dr. Arvind Panagariya, submitted its report on February 1, 2026, covering the period 2026-27 to 2030-31. The Commissi...
A full stop: On the top court, the right to menstrual health and hygiene
On January 30, 2026, the Supreme Court of India held that the right to menstrual health and hygiene is an integral part of the right to life and dignity unde...
Hillock butchered, HC tears into Haryana govt for ‘environmental plunder’ at Charkhi Dadri mine
A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court severely criticised the Haryana government over the destruction of a hillock due to alleged illegal sto...
Budget rationalises tax penalty, prosecution framework for individuals; foreign asset disclosure scheme announced
Union Budget 2026-27 proposed a comprehensive rationalisation of penalty and prosecution provisions under the Income Tax Act, with the objective of reducing ...