Op-Eds

The future of irrigation lies not in choosing between the big and the small, but in integrating the two within a coherent, systems-based approach. India’s irrigation story has long been told through large dams and canal networks. For decades, policy has focused on expanding major and medium irrigation projects to create irrigation potential. Yet, much...   Read More

The ongoing parliamentary session addressing the 33% Women's Reservation Act underscores its profound economic and social advantages. Studies indicate that when women participate in policymaking, the results are transformative—leading to enhanced investments in healthcare and education and a significant drop in child mortality rates. Yet, India still trails behind in female political representation compared to...   Read More

Strengthening enforcement mechanisms is the most critical priority. A persistent challenge in India’s labour market is the weak enforcement of regulations, especially in the informal sector The recent strike by gig workers and the protest by factory workers in UP against low wages and poor working conditions underlie the operational challenges of labour reforms in...   Read More

The growth of India’s economy is a means, not an end in itself. It must translate into good jobs and better lives. However, Time Use survey data shows significant disparities in the hours that India’s young work. Could AI adoption reduce these gaps? The recent revision of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) data has generated...   Read More

The productivity crisis is no longer a theoretical risk; it is a mechanical and biological reality crippling India’s industrial heartlands India is currently winning the global trade shuffle. As political instability rocks traditional hubs such as Bangladesh, international buyers are pivoting toward Indian textile clusters. But as factories in Tiruppur and Bengaluru take on these...   Read More

In a warming world, the value of irrigation lies not only in what it produces, but in the uncertainty it removes. In a canal-irrigated village in eastern India, farmers increasingly speak not just about yields, but about certainty. “Earlier, we waited for rain,” one cultivator observed. “Now we plan.” That shift—from dependence on rainfall to...   Read More

Recent reports suggest the central government may be considering a way around the delimitation deadlock on women’s reservation. The proposal, if it advances, would expand the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats, with 273 of the new seats reserved for women and allocated using 2011 Census data rather than waiting for a fresh Census....   Read More

The Union Cabinet’s approval of the Small Hydro Power Development Scheme for FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31 is a sensible intervention. With an outlay of ₹2,584.6 crore, including ₹2,532 crore for project implementation, the scheme aims to add 1,500 MW of capacity through projects of 1-25 MW. That focus matters. Small hydro power remains one of India’s...   Read More

Urbanisation, migration, and changing aspirations often leave older adults to navigate their later years with greater independence but also, at times, greater isolation. India stands at a quiet but significant turning point in how it understands ageing. For generations, the joint family system served as the backbone of elderly care, offering not just physical support...   Read More

Its role in rural development goes beyond crop output benefits to enhancing infrastructure, service delivery, local economic activity Summary Watershed development is emerging as a crucial strategy for India's rural climate resilience. It enhances soil moisture and groundwater recharge, and also supports overal rural transformation. Increased public investment and community participation in watershed projects can...   Read More