India’s Budget speech is a carefully choreographed event. Numbers go up, schemes get named, and ministers applaud. But a quieter story plays out months later, in documents called Revised Estimates. This is where the real spending decisions happen. In 2025-26, two of India’s most critical welfare schemes for women and children were slashed significantly at…
Picture the scene: a woman with a PhD in Nuclear Physics from the University of Madras, sitting in a modest room in Kanchipuram back in 2002, her mind turning over the problem of child labour. At first glance, the leap is almost surreal. You’ve got atomic particles on one side, rural kids out of school…
This story is about Gul Panag. The woman who decided that visibility, if used correctly, is not a privilege. It is a responsibility. There is a particular kind of public figures who uses attention the way most people use money carefully with intent, and never on themselves alone. Gul Panag has been that kind of…
Shanta Toofani (1929-2011) was an unusual social worker, activist and educator. She completed her schooling at the age of 34, while running a household single-handedly and bringing up seven children. Having educated herself despite all odds, she was committed to educating others, with fierce love. For several decades this tiny woman stood tall, teaching children…
A recent NITI Aayog report reveals a painful reality inside India’s government schools: millions of children still study without electricity, proper toilets, or enough teachers. For many students, especially girls, school is no longer just a place of learning, but a daily struggle for dignity, safety, and the chance to stay. Every morning, millions of…
The Scale of the Shift India is in the midst of a demographic transition. Within the next five years, for the first time in human history, the number of Indian women aged 40 -55 years will exceed the number in peak childbearing age of 20-35 years. More adult women will be in a non-reproductive phase…
India’s Path to Inclusive Growth From Demographic Dividend to Economic Participation India stands at a defining moment in its development trajectory. It’s growth story is often framed through the lens of its demographic dividend. With one of the world’s youngest populations, the country’s demographic dividend offers immense potential. Yet, the real test lies not in…
In many Indian homes, behind closed doors and polite smiles, there exists a silence that is rarely questioned. It is the silence of women who are told that once married, their bodies are no longer entirely their own. We grow up believing that marriage is sacred—a bond built on love, trust, and companionship. Weddings are…
India’s digital activism has occasionally influenced political accountability, as seen in M.J. Akbar’s resignation during the #MeToo movement, but most online outrage fails to create lasting policy change. The article argues that India needs stronger digital accountability laws and institutional mechanisms to turn viral public pressure into meaningful democratic reform. The Hashtag that did cost…
India’s education system sees high initial enrolment, but nearly half of students drop out before completing secondary school and very few reach higher education. This silent crisis, driven by economic pressures, gender barriers, and poor infrastructure, threatens the country’s future workforce and growth. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change…
