A footpath cobbler’s quiet skill and dignity reveal a life shaped by hardship, caste identity, and resilience, as he supports his family and prioritizes his children’s education despite earning barely enough to survive. “Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe, Give it a stitch, and that will do.” The kindergarten poem lines reverberated in my mind as…
The Uttar Pradesh government, led by Yogi Adityanath, has approved an interim hike in minimum wages effective April 2026, providing relief to industrial workers. The move also clarifies misinformation and prepares for upcoming labor reforms under national labor codes. Lucknow/NOIDA/Ghaziabad – In a significant move aimed at bolstering the financial security of the industrial workforce,…
OceanaGold’s record P569 million social investment in the Philippines links mining profits to community development through a structured CSR model. It raises a key question: can such participatory investments create lasting impact beyond the life of the mine? There have been reports from the gold-copper mines in the mountainous areas of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino…
Women’s empowerment is not just about access but about agency, control, and decision-making. Across rural and urban India, true empowerment remains constrained by deeply rooted structural and social barriers. What if women’s empowerment is not about lifting women up rather about examining what has been holding them down? Who is being empowered? How? Under what…
India’s Jan Vishwas Bill 2026 decriminalises minor offences, replacing jail terms with monetary penalties to reduce compliance burden. It promotes trust-based governance and boosts ease of doing business, especially for MSMEs. A Law That Respects the Citizen India’s legal framework carried the weight of a colonial-era thinking for decades. The assumption was simple, and it…
PM Vishwakarma Yojana empowers traditional artisans by providing skill training, financial support, and access to larger markets. It aims to bring them into the formal economy and improve their livelihoods sustainably. A Legacy Without a Safety Net India’s artisan communities have been working with their hands for thousands of years. Blacksmiths, carpenters, goldsmiths, potters, cobblers,…
Ongoing conflict in the Middle East could push 3.3 million more people into poverty, according to the United Nations Development Programme. Economic disruptions, rising energy costs, and trade breakdowns are reversing development gains and deepening the humanitarian crisis. NA Warning From the Numbers The missiles and air strikes are the images that dominate the news….
India’s National Youth Policy 2026 shifts focus from welfare to workforce empowerment, emphasizing skilling, employment, and youth-led development. With MY Bharat as its digital backbone, the policy aims to turn India’s demographic dividend into economic growth. India is getting serious about its biggest asset. The government has proposed the National Youth Policy 2026, a comprehensive…
Uttar Pradesh has seen major improvements in law and order, infrastructure, and economic growth over the past nine years under the Yogi Adityanath government. The state now aims to build on this momentum to become a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Nine years ago, Uttar Pradesh faced persistent challenges in areas such as law and…
India’s Aspirational Blocks Programme has achieved a major milestone, with 150+ blocks reaching 100% saturation in key welfare indicators, marking a shift from intent to measurable outcomes.The data-driven model, backed by strong governance and partnerships, is now emerging as a scalable blueprint for nationwide development. India’s flagship grassroots governance initiative is producing its most concrete…
