Opinion: Jyoti Thakur and Nikhil Kaushik. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections present a mixed picture for female representation, with rising candidate numbers but a declining success rate. The 2019 Lok Sabha elections marked a significant milestone in Indian politics, with the highest ever female representation in Parliament. With 78 women elected, female participation stood at an impressive...   Read More

Opinion: Souryabrata Mohapatra. As a sweltering heatwave grips Northern India, Delhi has found itself at the epicenter of an alarming surge in temperatures. On May 29, newspaper headlines screamed of52.9 degree Celsius at Mungeshpur in north-west Delhi, raising concerns with climate change becoming the common refrain. Though the India Meteorological Department (IMD) later attributed it...   Read More

Opinion: Poonam Gupta. The Indian electorate has defied predictions of certainty, but the economic agenda for India remains unchanged. Despite impressive economic progress since 1991, India remains a low-middle-income economy. Policy priorities include urban expansion, modernization of agriculture, tackling unemployment, and addressing state-level disparities. Additionally, India must prepare for challenges such as aging populations and...   Read More

Opinion: Udaibir Das. Elevating to autonomous, system-wide financial stewardship is not just advisable but essential. In 2024, the world faces an unprecedented financial challenge. Global debt has soared to a staggering $310tn, catapulting the global debt-to-gross domestic product ratio to an alarming 340%. This colossal debt burden has proven to be a formidable obstacle, with...   Read More

Opinion: Palash Baruah and DL Wankhar. This is more so in rural areas. Insurance cover, public health are issues. The Covid-19 pandemic has redefined our health policies and strategies. It laid bare the inter-linkages between the healthcare systems, its availability, adequacy and affordability. At the core is the cost implication and impact on households over...   Read More

Opinion: Nijara Deka and Palash Baruah. To maximise India’s youth-driven economic potential, it must boost women’s participation in labour force The often-quoted expression “demographic dividend” connotes the potential economic growth that can result from shifts in a population’s age structure. It implies the economic benefits resulting from a larger share of the working-age population. Changes...   Read More

Opinion: Nijara Deka. Based on the NSSO's data, a man spent an average of 74 minutes a day on childcare whereas a female spent a disproportionate length of 134 minutes a day on the same. Furthermore, care given to other family members is so gender-defined that irrespective of any other paid activity, women spend a...   Read More

Opinion: Prabir Kumar Ghosh and Chanchal Negi. At the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, the vast majority of India’s population aged 5 and above, is literate through formal schooling. About 84 percent of men and 72 percent of women are literate, as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), 2021–22, Government...   Read More

Opinion: Sanjib Pohit. Focus on grid balancing, optimal storage capacity and spatial distribution of power demand is needed. The success of India’s net zero pledge by 2070 rests heavily on India’s successful energy transition in the power sector, as it is responsible for more than 50 per cent of emission. So, India has gone all...   Read More

Opinion: Palash Baruah and DL Wankhar. The Indian data market remains in its infancy due to regulatory ambiguity, despite the global trend of enterprises monetising various types of data. The potency of data becoming a critical asset is now a reality. Familiar phrases such as “data is the new gold” or “data is the new...   Read More