Social Issues
Education, health, poverty, gender and welfare schemes
Rice, wheat procurement remains ‘consistently’ low; House panel raises concern
A Parliamentary Standing Committee has raised concern over the Food Corporation of India's (FCI) consistently low and declining share in the direct procureme...
State cannot put ‘arbitrary ceiling’ on disability limits when RPwD Act does not prescribe any: SC
In *Prabhu Kumar v. State of Himachal Pradesh & Ors.* (2026 INSC 253), the Supreme Court held that a state cannot prescribe an upper ceiling on the disabilit...
Feminists, lawyers urge MPs to reject ‘unconstitutional’ amendments to transgender Act
Feminist organisations, lawyers, and rights advocates sent a letter to Members of Parliament urging them to reject the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rig...
What did the Supreme Court say about paid maternity leave?
The Supreme Court, in *Hamsaanandini Nanduri v. Union of India* (2026 INSC 246), struck down Section 60(4) of the Code on Social Security, 2020 on March 17, ...
Transgender, queer groups oppose Amendment Bill, demand withdrawal
Transgender and queer collectives, legal advocates, and civil society groups have demanded immediate withdrawal of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rig...
Hands-on training must for foreign medical grads: NMC
The National Medical Commission (NMC) issued a notice mandating that Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) who completed part of their MBBS programme in online or...
What makes GLP-1 drugs transformative also make them susceptible to misuse
Semaglutide's patent expired in India in March 2026, opening the market to generic competition. As many as 50 domestic brands are expected to enter at a thir...
Tripura Government accommodating fake private universities, Opposition alleges
The Tripura Legislative Assembly passed three bills to establish new private universities on March 20, 2026, amid a walkout by opposition CPI(M) and Congress...
Telangana Budget FY2026-27: Government announces Indiramma Family Life Insurance scheme, ₹5 lakh each to 1.15 crore families
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka presented the state's ₹3,24,234 crore budget for 2026-27, announcing the Indiram...
The rising tide of eco‑anxiety among India’s youth: a call for climate resilience
A documented rise in eco-anxiety among Indian youth is attracting attention from health researchers and environmental advocates, with the phenomenon now reco...
‘Undemocratic’ politics in Great Nicobar over land
Inequities have emerged between ex-servicemen settler families and the original indigenous islanders (Nicobarese and Shompen) over land compensation for the ...
Explained: Ambedkar’s Mahad Satyagraha, how it became a ‘watershed moment of Dalit assertion’
The Mahad Satyagraha, led by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on March 20, 1927, marks its 99th anniversary — a landmark event now widely recognised as the foundational act...
Govt weighs expanding social security with insurance cover for 32 cr unorganised, gig and platform workers
The government is examining domestic and international models to design a social security scheme — including insurance cover — for an estimated 32 crore unor...
Chavdar Tale centenary year: Thousands throng Mahad, pay respects to Ambedkar
On March 20, 2026, thousands of people gathered at the Chavdar Tale tank in Mahad (Raigad district, Maharashtra) to mark the 99th anniversary of the historic...
Government unveils Rs 20000 crore credit guarantee plan for MFIs
The government has approved a Rs 20,000 crore (₹200 billion) credit guarantee scheme for microfinance institutions (MFIs), aimed at addressing acute liquidit...
Expansion of PMBJKs to Reduce Healthcare Costs
The government has highlighted the rapid expansion of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), which now operates nearly 18,000 Jan Aushadhi K...
NITI Aayog proposes National Job Skilling Policy to strengthen India’s skilling ecosystem
NITI Aayog member Arvind Virmani has authored a working paper titled "Education and Skilling for Employment: From Credentials to Learning Outcomes," proposin...
Life term for ‘mass’ conversion, displaying details of those who want to convert: What’s in Chhattisgarh’s new Bill?
The Chhattisgarh Assembly passed the Chhattisgarh Dharm Swatantraya Vidheyak (Freedom of Religion Bill), 2026, introducing significantly stricter penalties f...
Gas shortage caused by Iran war may push India back to dirtier fuels
The ongoing West Asia conflict — which has effectively disrupted Strait of Hormuz transit — has created an acute LPG shortage in India, raising fears that mi...
Women and TB in India: a story of deprivation, discrimination and debt
A detailed investigation into tuberculosis (TB) among women in India reveals a pattern of triple disadvantage: women with TB face deprivation (lack of nutrit...