Environment

Unchecked urbanisation, waste dumping: Study warns of ‘invited disaster’ as khadi floods threaten half of Surat

An action research report, “Invited Disaster: Khadi Floods in Surat City”, published by two civil rights groups, Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti and the People's Union for Civil Liberties, Surat, states...

Strengthening indigenous communities means protection of the environment 

Various indigenous (Adivasi) communities constitute about 8.6 per cent...

Modi Govt’s Coal Reform Policy Quashed Over Environmental Concerns

NGT rules coal source changes need fresh environmental clearances; criticises dilution of regulatory oversight through office memoranda.

Destruction of forest in Kancha Gachibowli, Telangana violation of Congress party manifesto: CCG Statement

The destruction of over 100 acres of forested land in Kancha Gachibowli, to allow an IT hub is a violation of the Congress party’s own manifesto say retired civil servants who have constituted themselves into the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG)

Mass Deforestation, Protests, Detentions: Supreme Court halts Telangana’s reckless tree felling at Kancha Gachibowli, questions permissions

Public anger mounts as Telangana authorities bulldoze through Kancha Gachibowli’s tree cover, allegedly violating environmental norms and suppressing protests with detentions and police crackdowns; scrutiny by HC and SC to continue

Steps Towards Sustainability: MP villages show how water conservation improves quality of life, and quickly

Experiments with bunds and dohas to arrest rain water flow has rejuvenated lands making villages in Shivpuri district, MP, fit for agriculture and grazing

Catch people’s attention on pollution narrative: “Switching to public transport can lower your heart attack risk by 10%.”

Messaging and communication are key and the Indian people’s lukewarm response to spiralling air pollution is because of this: Will campaigns such as “Wearing an N95 mask reduces your PM2.5 exposure by 95%” or “Switching to public transport can lower your heart attack risk by 10%” change this making people speak out?

K’taka: fisher-folk take to the sea in defiance of Honnavar port project

Amid heavy police crackdown and government indifference, fishermen in Kasarkod stage protests, risking their lives to halt the controversial port survey

Noise Pollution Ban: Unequal standards for diverse practices?

The recent Bombay High Court judgment (23rd January 2025) addresses the contentious issue of the use of loudspeakers at places of worship and their legal standing under Article 25 of the Constitution. The case was initiated following complaints by residents about persistent noise pollution caused by loudspeakers from religious institutions (masjids), particularly during early morning and late-night hours. The court examined whether such practices constituted an essential religious function or merely a cultural practice subject to regulation under existing noise pollution laws. The court ruled that loudspeakers are not an essential part of religious practice and directed the Maharashtra government and police to take strict action against violations of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. This ruling aligns with past judicial pronouncements while also raising questions about unequal enforcement of noise regulations across different religious communities.

Can the Swaraj path be India’s answer to climate change?

As climate change intensifies and the inadequacy of the...

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A Question of Rights: Supreme Court backs teacher in maternity leave dispute

In a recent judgement where the SC upheld maternity relief to a teacher, for the first child of a second marriage (when she previously had had two children) balanced Tamil Nadu state’s policy on population control with fundamental rights like reproductive rights and child birth that cannot be interpreted in a vacuum

Andhra Pradesh High Court rules Trans woman is a ‘woman’

A recent judgement of the AP High Court, in Viswanathan Krishna Murthy is a significant step forward for the legal recognition of transgender rights in India, in much as it establishes a clear precedent that the protections against domestic cruelty apply to Trans women in heterosexual marriages.

Principles of secret ballot, free will compromised, electronic surveillance a possibility with Voting APP introduced by the ECI: Expert

Veteran in computer science and architecture of unique software, Madhav Deshpande seriously questions the Voting APP introduced by the Bihar State Election Commission for local body polls; He alerts Indians to the possibility of electronic surveillance, the constitutional principles of free will and secret ballot being violated in the manner in which the constructed software is being stored

Ajith Kumar’s custodial death exposes Tamil Nadu’s unbroken chain of police impunity

In the temple town of Madappuram, Sivagangai district, 27-year-old B. Ajith Kumar, a contractual security guard at the Badrakaliamman temple, was allegedly tortured to death by police officials on June 28, 2025, after being picked up in connection with a missing gold complaint. The case has sparked public outrage, judicial scrutiny, and brought back uncomfortable memories of the Jeyaraj-Bennix custodial deaths of 2020 in Sathankulam

97,000 persons convicted in UP under ‘operation conviction’: State Govt

Of this significant if not staggering number, 68 accused persons were sentenced to death, 8,172 received life imprisonment, 1,453 were sentenced to over 20 yrs., and 87,465 were sentenced up to 20 years’ states a report in The Hindustan Times.

‘What happened to Ali Mohammad was wrong’: UP temple’s Muslim caretaker held for offering namaz; Hindu priest to arrange bail, says he served with dignity for 35 years reports TOI

In Budaun, Times of India reported how a temple priest has offered to bail out a Muslim caretaker arrested for offering namaz on temple grounds. Paramanand Das condemned the video recording and emphasised Ali Mohammad's decades of faithful service. Despite the arrest and charges of defiling a place of worship, Das affirmed Ali's respect for all faiths and the temple's inclusive nature.