PHASE 1: EARLY LIFE, FOUNDATIONS AND ENTRY INTO PUBLIC SERVICE The journey of Parameswaran Iyer in to public administration began much earlier than when he became one of the most widely recognised reformers in India’s sanitation and water sector. Born on 16 April 1959 in Srinagar, he grew up in an environment shaped by discipline…
The Supreme Court of India has stepped in to address Delhi’s worsening air pollution. The court has directed the Union government and the Delhi government to submit a clear and time-bound action plan based on the recommendations of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). The order reflects the court’s concern that, despite repeated warnings,…
India has announced that Graca Machel, a globally respected human rights advocate from Mozambique, will be conferred with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development. The award recognises her lifelong contribution to peace-building, women’s rights, child welfare, and social justice across Africa and the world. The decision was taken by the Indira Gandhi…
umanity has entered a phase of acute ecological turmoil. Heatwaves, erratic monsoons, cyclones, floods, droughts, and wildfires are changing our ecology and straining our food systems. As environmental disasters escalate, building climate resilience has emerged as a key national priority. Even as governments negotiate on climate policies and industries switch over to cleaner technologies, there…
India’s Union Budget 2026 is shaping up as a defining moment for the nation’s digital future. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is preparing a fiscal roadmap that goes beyond numbers. It aims to create a digital backbone to drive India toward the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. The government wants digital infrastructure to be more than…
Gautam Budh Nagar | January 22, 2026 The Transport Department of Gautam Buddha Nagar has intensified its oversight of school vehicle safety across the district. It issued strict directions to all educational institutions to comply with transport and child safety regulations. The department has warned that any violation will result in personal legal liability for…
Anyone who has worked in India’s development sector for a significant period will recognise a familiar pattern. Across states and districts, the landscape is crowded with organisations trying their best to solve difficult problems, yet most of them do so in isolation. The intent is strong, the commitment is real, but the way programmes are…
The Madhya Pradesh government has constituted a high-level inquiry committee to investigate a serious drinking water contamination incident in Indore, following reports of widespread illness and multiple deaths. The decision was taken after health authorities confirmed a spike in water-borne infections in several localities, triggering public concern over the safety of the municipal water supply….
India’s gig economy has grown rapidly with the rise of digital platforms such as Uber, Ola, Swiggy, Zomato, Urban Company, and so on. Millions of workers depend on app-based jobs for income now. However, for years, these workers remained outside India’s formal labour protection system. The Code on Social Security, 2020 aims to change this…
Over the last decade, Digital India moved from a policy slogan to an everyday reality for hundreds of millions. What began as infrastructure and identity projects has threaded itself into the routines of shopping, schooling, health, work and governance – often in ways that feel invisible until you stop to add them up. Below are…
