The article critically examines the effectiveness of fast-track courts (FTCs) in India, particularly in the context of their proposed use for paper leak cases and existing Fast-Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for rape and POCSO cases. It highlights that FTCs often reallocate existing judicial resources rather than expanding capacity, leading to a shift in backlog. Key challenges include mounting pendency within FTSCs, systemic judicial constraints, resource shortages (prosecutors, forensic labs), and concerns over rigid timelines compromising fair trial rights and the constitutional right to equality (Article 14). The discussion emphasizes the need for comprehensive institutional reforms, including strengthening investigations and forensic infrastructure, rather than relying solely on specialized courts.
The article critically analyzes a Supreme Court order regarding post facto environmental clearances, which reaffirms the principle of pre-project appraisal but is seen as weakening it by allowing the Centre to legalize violations through statutory notifications. It highlights the dissonance between state-level appraisal machinery and central law, where post facto clearances have become common. The Court's reasoning, comparing environmental amnesty to tax defaults, is questioned, especially in light of the Jan Vishwas amendments that removed imprisonment for environmental lapses, reducing compliance to a monetary cost. The article argues that this approach undermines the precautionary principle and calls for a repair of the clearance apparatus.
India has established a unique and globally leading Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) stack, integrating Aadhaar, UPI, and DEPA/Account Aggregator. This integrated approach, rather than individual components, is India's distinct strength. The availability of cheap data has brought 500 million people online, significantly boosting India's digital economy, payment volumes, and direct-benefit transfers. Aadhaar has streamlined identity verification, and UPI has made digital payments virtually free and widespread. The article posits that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be the next frontier for India to commoditise as a public digital infrastructure.
The article analyzes the June 2026 data for the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), which showed a 23-month high growth rate of 7.3%. This growth was attributed to a low base effect, resilience in manufacturing (driven by domestic and external demand), and strong performance in consumer durables and capital goods sectors. The electricity sector also saw significant growth due to a heatwave, and mining recovered from a contraction. However, the article warns of future risks, including the impact of a deficient monsoon on rural demand, volatility in oil prices due to the West Asia crisis, and the need for sustained government capital expenditure to counter these headwinds and ensure continued economic growth.
The article discusses India's evolving maritime security strategy, introducing 'SHANTI' (Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity) as a normative framework for shared maritime spaces, building upon previous initiatives like SAGAR and MAHASAGAR. It highlights the Bay of Bengal's strategic centrality, its vulnerability to non-traditional threats (climate disasters, illegal fishing, cyber vulnerabilities), and the need for coordinated regional cooperation. SHANTI aims to shift the focus from competition to demand-driven cooperation, institution-building, and long-term resilience, positioning India as a 'preferred security partner' and 'first responder'. The Bay of Bengal is presented as an ideal 'natural laboratory' to operationalize SHANTI, leveraging existing mechanisms like BIMSTEC for trust-based, rules-based cooperation.
The article highlights the critical need for a universal and portable social safety net for India's vast informal workforce, which constitutes over 90% of the working population. While the e-Shram portal has successfully registered over 300 million workers, providing a digital identity, it doesn't automatically translate into social security. The current welfare design suffers from fragmentation and lack of portability, particularly penalizing inter-State migrant workers. The author proposes a unified 'universal social security account' linked to Aadhaar, ensuring seamless access to benefits like accident insurance, healthcare (integrated with Ayushman Bharat), and old-age pension, irrespective of location or job changes. This framework would be financed through pooled funding mechanisms, combining central allocations with a welfare cess on digital platforms and micro-contributions from workers, aiming to provide lifelong resilience and dignity to the informal sector.
The article analyzes the historical and contemporary challenges faced by Dalit leaders in being recognized as mainstream political representatives beyond their caste identity. It highlights how figures like B.R. Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram were often pigeonholed into 'Dalit politics'. The article then introduces Abhijeet Dipke, a new leader who, by leading a secular Gen-Z movement against the NEET paper leak, demonstrates the potential for Dalit individuals to emerge as popular leaders addressing broader public concerns and mainstreaming Ambedkarite ideals, thereby challenging conventional perceptions.
