Social Issues
Education, health, poverty, gender and welfare schemes
NAMASTE Scheme: Mechanising Sanitation Work and Protecting Sewer and Septic Tank Cleaners
The National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme was highlighted for strengthening safety, dignity, and livelihood support for...
Uniform Civil Code: Article 44 and the Push for State-Level Rollout by 2029
Several state governments have indicated an intention to enact Uniform Civil Code (UCC) legislation, with a stated target of completing rollout across these...
High Court Directs Police Protection for Same-Sex Live-In Couple: Article 21 and the Right to Cohabit
The Allahabad High Court directed Uttar Pradesh Police to ensure the safety of an adult same-sex couple living together in a live-in relationship, after the...
Biometric Aadhaar Authentication Made Mandatory for Subsidised LPG Refills
From October 1, 2026, domestic LPG consumers must complete Biometric Aadhaar Authentication (BAA) to book refills at the regulated Retail Selling Price with...
Kasturirangan Report Consultations: Karnataka Directs Forest Department Against Eviction Notices to Traditional Cultivators
The Karnataka state government held a public consultation in Tirthahalli (Shivamogga district) to hear concerns from residents, farmers, and environmental...
India's Fertility Rate Falls Below Replacement Level: Rethinking Population Control Policy
A working paper from the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) found that India's national Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen to 1.9...
India's First Approved Dengue Vaccine Qdenga Set for 2027 Launch
Qdenga (TAK-003), developed by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, has become the first dengue vaccine to receive marketing authorisation in India, granted by...
EPFO Wage Ceiling Raised from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000: What Changes
The Union Cabinet approved raising the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) statutory wage ceiling from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per month, effective 17...
OBC Creamy Layer Income Test: Government Seeks Clarity Between Supreme Court and CAT
The Department of Personnel and Training moved the Supreme Court seeking clarification on how a March 2026 judgment on the OBC creamy layer income test...
Delayed Birth and Death Registration Gets Stricter: The 2026 Amendment Explained
The provisions of the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2026 come into force on 1 October 2026, tightening the process for registering...
EPFO Wage Ceiling Raised to ₹25,000: Contribution Base and Insurance Cover Recalibrated
The statutory wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) was raised from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per month...
EPFO Wage Ceiling Raised to Rs 25,000: First Revision in 12 Years
The Union Cabinet approved a Ministry of Labour and Employment proposal raising the wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees' Provident Fund...
EPFO Wage Ceiling Raised to ₹25,000: Governance, Legal Transition, and the Coverage Debate
The Union Cabinet approved raising the statutory wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) from ₹15,000 to...
Manipur's Ethnic Faultline Shifts: Kuki-Zo–Naga Clashes Emerge Alongside the Meitei–Kuki-Zo Conflict
A new state government in Manipur took charge in February 2026, following a period of President's Rule that had been imposed after the previous Chief...
EPFO Wage Ceiling Raised to Rs 25,000, Widening Mandatory Social Security Cover
The Union Cabinet approved raising the wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) from Rs 15,000 to Rs...
EPFO Wage Ceiling Hike: Governance Structure and India's Social Security Benchmark
The Union Cabinet approved raising the statutory wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) from ₹15,000 to...
EPFO Wage Ceiling Hike: Payroll Cost, Take-Home Pay and Fiscal Burden
The Union Cabinet approved raising the statutory wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) from ₹15,000 to...
EPFO Wage Ceiling Raised to ₹25,000: Expanding Mandatory Retirement Coverage
The Union Cabinet approved raising the statutory wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees' Pension Scheme...
Tara Coal Block Auction in Chhattisgarh: Why Hasdeo Aranya Is at the Centre of a Forest Rights Debate
The Tara coal block in Chhattisgarh's Hasdeo Aranya (Hasdeo Arand) forest region was put up for auction under the competitive-bidding coal block allocation...
Rural Employment Guarantee Work Sees Modest August Uptick, Still Trails Last Year's MGNREGA Demand
Persondays generated under the rural employment guarantee programme rose modestly in August compared with July, but cumulative persondays generated over...