By A Representative   The Thirty-Fifth General Synod of the United Church of Christ (UCC), meeting in Kansas City, USA, has passed a resolution expressing concern over reports of rising violence and discrimination against religious minorities in India. The resolution , titled “A Response to Violence Against Religious Minorities in India,” reflects the denomination’s stated commitment to global human rights and religious freedom.

By Hemantkumar Shah*  The World Bank’s recent claim that poverty has drastically reduced in India should ordinarily be cause for celebration. However, a closer look at the statistics and methodology behind this claim reveals a different, more disturbing picture. According to the Bank, if a person’s daily income was less than $3.00 or $4.20 in 2021 (measured in purchasing power parity or PPP terms), they would be considered poor. But this calculation method, based on an outdated exchange model and an abstract measure of purchasing capacity, severely misrepresents lived realities on the ground.

By A Representative   “The right to health cannot be dislocated from gender equality and human rights,” said Shobha Shukla, speaking as the Lead Discussant for SDG-3 (health and well-being) at the ongoing United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF 2025) in New York. Representing the Asia Pacific Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism, she was the only Indian on the SDG-3 panel.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak  The prevailing narratives surrounding capitalism's supposed invincibility persistently undermine all alternative systems, employing diverse tools and strategies of governance that not only domesticate daily life but also suppress the critical consciousness essential for societal transformation. Capitalism's ideological, cultural, social, political, and economic apparatuses promote ideas, policies, processes, and institutions designed to stifle both individual and collective awareness. It dismantles communitarian society in the name of individual freedom and individualizes consumption in the pursuit of personal happiness, utility, and satisfaction. These processes accelerate various forms of individual alienation, an intrinsic feature of the capitalist system. The separation of consumers from producers, justified by mythical free-market efficiency, is part of this commodification, reinforcing alienating structures that domesticate both.

By A Representative   A prominent power and climate policy analyst, Shankar Sharma, has raised significant concerns regarding India's current reliance on pumped storage plants (PSPs) for energy transition, advocating strongly for the adoption of battery energy storage systems (BESS) instead. In a detailed communication addressed to top government officials and ministers, including the Chairman CUM Managing Director of Grid-India, the Chairman of the Central Electricity Authority, and the Secretaries of Power, MNRE, and MoEF&CC, Sharma highlighted the "unacceptable ecological costs" associated with PSPs and called for a strategic re-evaluation of India's energy storage policy.

By A Representative   Civil rights activist and Magsaysay awardee Sandeep Pandey has strongly urged the Uttar Pradesh government to implement the 2015 judgment of Justice Sudhir Agarwal, which mandates that children of all government-salaried employees and beneficiaries of public funds must compulsorily study in government schools. Pandey argued that if this order is enforced, the quality of government schools would improve substantially, and public confidence in the system would be restored.

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 

By A Representative   Over 150 concerned citizens, academics, former bureaucrats, lawyers, journalists, and activists have strongly opposed the move to link Aadhaar with voter IDs, calling it a grave threat to electoral integrity, democratic participation, and fundamental rights. In a statement endorsed by groups including Rethink Aadhaar, Article 21 Trust, Jan Hastakshep, and individuals like economists Jayati Ghosh, Reetika Khera, and former chief secretary Sharad Behar, the signatories denounced what they describe as the government's coercive push to make Aadhaar submission effectively mandatory for voters.

By Sandeep Pandey*  In Lucknow, we saw Akhilesh Yadav scaling the fence of the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre—ironically built by his own government—to pay respect to the iconic Socialist leader on his birthday in 2023. The Yogi Adityanath government had denied him permission, citing security concerns. What could be the security concern in visiting a memorial is inexplicable.