The India Forum
@theindiaforum.bsky.social
https://www.theindiaforum.in/
If you care about the world we live in, engage with the independent journal-magazine, for thoughtful articles on contemporary issues.
If you care about the world we live in, engage with the independent journal-magazine, for thoughtful articles on contemporary issues.
The last two decades have seen little increase in welfare spending. But the NDA government has created an image of being focused on welfare by renaming schemes, appropriating older ones, and starving some UPA schemes of funds. By Reetika Khera and Md. Asjad
www.theindiaforum.in/politics/wel...
www.theindiaforum.in/politics/wel...
Welfare Spending in the Past Two Decades
The last two decades have seen little increase in welfare spending. But the NDA government has created an image of being focused on welfare by renaming schemes, appropriating older ones, and starving ...
www.theindiaforum.in
December 13, 2025 at 5:39 AM
The last two decades have seen little increase in welfare spending. But the NDA government has created an image of being focused on welfare by renaming schemes, appropriating older ones, and starving some UPA schemes of funds. By Reetika Khera and Md. Asjad
www.theindiaforum.in/politics/wel...
www.theindiaforum.in/politics/wel...
"India is better positioned than most to stake a claim to become a pole in a multipolar world, it is not preordained to do so. Great power status would likely end up costing the country more than it would be worth."
What Good is Great Power Status for India?
"India is better positioned than most to stake a claim to become a pole in a multipolar world, it is not preordained to do so. The pursuit of great power status is a choice and one that India need…
www.theindiaforum.in
December 13, 2025 at 2:30 AM
"India is better positioned than most to stake a claim to become a pole in a multipolar world, it is not preordained to do so. Great power status would likely end up costing the country more than it would be worth."
"India is better positioned than most to stake a claim to become a pole in a multipolar world, it is not preordained to do so. Great power status would likely end up costing the country more than it would be worth."
www.theindiaforum.in/politics/wha...
www.theindiaforum.in/politics/wha...
What Good is Great Power Status for India?
"India is better positioned than most to stake a claim to become a pole in a multipolar world, it is not preordained to do so. The pursuit of great power status is a choice and one that India need not...
www.theindiaforum.in
December 12, 2025 at 3:33 AM
"India is better positioned than most to stake a claim to become a pole in a multipolar world, it is not preordained to do so. Great power status would likely end up costing the country more than it would be worth."
www.theindiaforum.in/politics/wha...
www.theindiaforum.in/politics/wha...
The recent deaths of children given a certain cough syrup show us again that India needs a drug regulatory system that is free from regulatory capture and one that prioritises public health. Real reform depends on confronting regulatory failures...
www.theindiaforum.in/health/putti...
www.theindiaforum.in/health/putti...
Putting Drug Quality at the Heart of Reform
The recent deaths of children given a certain cough syrup show us again that India needs a drug regulatory system that is free from regulatory capture and one that prioritises public health. Real refo...
www.theindiaforum.in
December 11, 2025 at 6:01 AM
The recent deaths of children given a certain cough syrup show us again that India needs a drug regulatory system that is free from regulatory capture and one that prioritises public health. Real reform depends on confronting regulatory failures...
www.theindiaforum.in/health/putti...
www.theindiaforum.in/health/putti...
The messy nature of Indian federalism reflects negotiations and compromises between the national leadership and multiple civic actors who recognised that linguistic identity had material stakes.
www.theindiaforum.in/history/how-...
www.theindiaforum.in/history/how-...
How Regional Organisations Shaped India's Linguistic States
The messy nature of Indian federalism reflects negotiations and compromises between the national leadership and multiple civic actors who recognised that linguistic identity had material stakes.
www.theindiaforum.in
December 10, 2025 at 6:24 AM
The messy nature of Indian federalism reflects negotiations and compromises between the national leadership and multiple civic actors who recognised that linguistic identity had material stakes.
www.theindiaforum.in/history/how-...
www.theindiaforum.in/history/how-...
Kerala court has acquitted actor Dileep in the 2017 case. The Hema Committee report on the women in Malayalam cinema made public what was whispered earlier. The government’s limp reaction has revealed the cosy relationship between politics and stardom.
www.theindiaforum.in/gender/publi...
www.theindiaforum.in/gender/publi...
The Public Secrets of Malayalam Cinema
The Hema Committee report on the women in Malayalam cinema has made public what was whispered earlier. The government’s limp reaction has revealed the cosy relationship between politics and stardom.
www.theindiaforum.in
December 8, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Kerala court has acquitted actor Dileep in the 2017 case. The Hema Committee report on the women in Malayalam cinema made public what was whispered earlier. The government’s limp reaction has revealed the cosy relationship between politics and stardom.
www.theindiaforum.in/gender/publi...
www.theindiaforum.in/gender/publi...
India’s future cannot rest on one leader, party, or nation, but on the creative friction among its diverse peoples and histories. Justice emerges from vernacular struggles, showing India’s destiny lies in its plural, disputatious, self-respecting “people-nation”.
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
India’s Future in the Hands of Its Many, Not Its One
India’s future cannot rest on one leader, party, or nation, but on the creative friction among its diverse peoples and histories. Justice emerges from vernacular struggles, showing India’s destiny lie...
www.theindiaforum.in
December 8, 2025 at 5:24 AM
India’s future cannot rest on one leader, party, or nation, but on the creative friction among its diverse peoples and histories. Justice emerges from vernacular struggles, showing India’s destiny lies in its plural, disputatious, self-respecting “people-nation”.
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
Welfare policies in India promise flexibility and efficiency, but in practice limit beneficiary access owing to the use of outdated demographic data.
www.theindiaforum.in/public-polic...
www.theindiaforum.in/public-polic...
Frozen in Place: The State of Welfare in India
Welfare policies promise flexibility and efficiency, but in practice limit beneficiary access owing to the use of outdated demographic data.
www.theindiaforum.in
December 5, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Welfare policies in India promise flexibility and efficiency, but in practice limit beneficiary access owing to the use of outdated demographic data.
www.theindiaforum.in/public-polic...
www.theindiaforum.in/public-polic...
As long as the structural factors remain in place, subtle forms of racism will continue to hide in plain sight & exert a corrosive influence on the wellbeing of those it targets. A lesson for the UK & wherever racism lurks under the surface.
www.theindiaforum.in/tiffin/racis...
www.theindiaforum.in/tiffin/racis...
Racism Never Went Away in the UK – It Simply Changed Shape
To tackle racism, a widening of focus is needed. As long as the structural factors remain in place, subtle forms of racism will continue to hide in plain sight and exert a corrosive influence on the w...
www.theindiaforum.in
December 2, 2025 at 7:09 AM
As long as the structural factors remain in place, subtle forms of racism will continue to hide in plain sight & exert a corrosive influence on the wellbeing of those it targets. A lesson for the UK & wherever racism lurks under the surface.
www.theindiaforum.in/tiffin/racis...
www.theindiaforum.in/tiffin/racis...
Read this explainer by Rangarajan R. on the objectives, processes & the arguments for & against the SIR of the electoral rolls being conducted by the ECI; the concerns about citizenship being investigated in the process & the possible way forward.
www.theindiaforum.in/politics/exp...
www.theindiaforum.in/politics/exp...
Explainer: What is the Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls?
The objectives, processes and the arguments for and against the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar that is being conducted by the Election Commission of India; the concerns abo...
www.theindiaforum.in
December 1, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Read this explainer by Rangarajan R. on the objectives, processes & the arguments for & against the SIR of the electoral rolls being conducted by the ECI; the concerns about citizenship being investigated in the process & the possible way forward.
www.theindiaforum.in/politics/exp...
www.theindiaforum.in/politics/exp...
Indo-Arab scholars forged anti-imperialist thought offering alternatives to Western narratives & shaping India’s diplomatic imagination. Those traditions are replaced by Hindutva-driven curricula & “decolonial” claims that legitimise supremacism.
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
For A Brief Period, Indo-Arab Thought Challenged Empire. Then It Faded
Indo-Arab scholars forged anti-imperialist thought from the early 20th century onwards, offering alternatives to Western narratives & shaping India’s diplomatic imagination. Those traditions have now ...
www.theindiaforum.in
December 1, 2025 at 6:11 AM
Indo-Arab scholars forged anti-imperialist thought offering alternatives to Western narratives & shaping India’s diplomatic imagination. Those traditions are replaced by Hindutva-driven curricula & “decolonial” claims that legitimise supremacism.
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
China has reached a critical stage in its rise to global power taking on the role of rule-maker or rule-breaker. The dramatic success of its #MakeinChina programme, launched in 2015, stands in contrast to India’s lack of progress with #MakeinIndia.
www.theindiaforum.in/internationa...
www.theindiaforum.in/internationa...
China’s Rise to Dominance
Using a variety of strategies over the past quarter century, China has achieved dominant global position in an ever-expanding list of industries. It has now moved from a rule-taker to rule-maker. How ...
www.theindiaforum.in
November 30, 2025 at 9:24 AM
China has reached a critical stage in its rise to global power taking on the role of rule-maker or rule-breaker. The dramatic success of its #MakeinChina programme, launched in 2015, stands in contrast to India’s lack of progress with #MakeinIndia.
www.theindiaforum.in/internationa...
www.theindiaforum.in/internationa...
Using a variety of strategies, China has achieved dominant global position in an expanding list of industries. It has now moved from a rule-taker to rule-maker. How China acts and how the West responds will shape international affairs for decades. TN Ninan writes
www.theindiaforum.in/internationa...
www.theindiaforum.in/internationa...
China’s Rise to Dominance
Using a variety of strategies over the past quarter century, China has achieved dominant global position in an ever-expanding list of industries. It has now moved from a rule-taker to rule-maker. How ...
www.theindiaforum.in
November 28, 2025 at 4:37 AM
Using a variety of strategies, China has achieved dominant global position in an expanding list of industries. It has now moved from a rule-taker to rule-maker. How China acts and how the West responds will shape international affairs for decades. TN Ninan writes
www.theindiaforum.in/internationa...
www.theindiaforum.in/internationa...
Persistent comparability problems between the 2011–12 and 2022–23 consumption surveys, compounded by the World Bank’s contested adjustments, leave India’s poverty and inequality trends uncertain. Although poverty has likely fallen, the magnitude remains disputed.
www.theindiaforum.in/economy/grea...
www.theindiaforum.in/economy/grea...
The Great Indian Poverty Debate
Persistent comparability problems between the 2011–12 and 2022–23 consumption surveys, compounded by the World Bank’s contested adjustments, leave India’s poverty and inequality trends uncertain. Alth...
www.theindiaforum.in
November 27, 2025 at 5:44 AM
Persistent comparability problems between the 2011–12 and 2022–23 consumption surveys, compounded by the World Bank’s contested adjustments, leave India’s poverty and inequality trends uncertain. Although poverty has likely fallen, the magnitude remains disputed.
www.theindiaforum.in/economy/grea...
www.theindiaforum.in/economy/grea...
"Through the detention centre, the state creates an institutionalised space where death by disease is more likely than usual. The detention centre mounts an attritional assault against the individual’s right to life." Angshuman Choudhury writes
Death, Dying, and Everything that Follows in Assam
In Assam's detention centre for suspected foreigners, the state wages an attritional assault against the lives of the detained. But that is only one part of a majoritatian fantasy to create a…
www.theindiaforum.in
November 27, 2025 at 2:30 AM
"Through the detention centre, the state creates an institutionalised space where death by disease is more likely than usual. The detention centre mounts an attritional assault against the individual’s right to life." Angshuman Choudhury writes
"The World Bank’s partial acceptance of the recommendations of the Commission of Global Poverty indicates that the measurement of global poverty appears to be a domain where institutional inertia and pristine methodological recommendations tend to clash."
www.theindiaforum.in/economy/oops...
www.theindiaforum.in/economy/oops...
Oops! ... The World Bank Did it Again
"The World Bank’s partial acceptance of the recommendations of the Commission of Global Poverty indicates that the measurement of global poverty appears to be a domain where institutional inertia and ...
www.theindiaforum.in
November 26, 2025 at 5:37 AM
"The World Bank’s partial acceptance of the recommendations of the Commission of Global Poverty indicates that the measurement of global poverty appears to be a domain where institutional inertia and pristine methodological recommendations tend to clash."
www.theindiaforum.in/economy/oops...
www.theindiaforum.in/economy/oops...
A survey of the Supreme Court’s evolving role across law and judicial administration reveals deepening structural crises. Yet, the essays in the volume reflect an enduring belief that the Court’s accumulated authority still permits the possibility of renewal.
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
The Supreme Court at 75 in Search of Its Future
A survey of the Supreme Court’s evolving role across law and judicial administration reveals deepening structural crises. Yet amid clear-eyed critiques, the essays in the volume reflect an enduring be...
www.theindiaforum.in
November 24, 2025 at 5:37 AM
A survey of the Supreme Court’s evolving role across law and judicial administration reveals deepening structural crises. Yet, the essays in the volume reflect an enduring belief that the Court’s accumulated authority still permits the possibility of renewal.
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
"Pro-natalism functions as a form of selective demographic engineering that encourages reproduction only within prescribed social boundaries. It creates a hierarchy of legitimacy, where the right to have children and to parent is treated as a privilege."
www.theindiaforum.in/public-polic...
www.theindiaforum.in/public-polic...
Women’s Autonomy in an Era of Pro-Natalist Policies
Pro-natalist policies, now acquiring traction in India, are tools of social control reinforcing gender norms. These agendas undermine reproductive justice by prioritising demographic goals over autono...
www.theindiaforum.in
November 22, 2025 at 5:58 AM
"Pro-natalism functions as a form of selective demographic engineering that encourages reproduction only within prescribed social boundaries. It creates a hierarchy of legitimacy, where the right to have children and to parent is treated as a privilege."
www.theindiaforum.in/public-polic...
www.theindiaforum.in/public-polic...
Pro-natalist policies in India are tools of social control reinforcing gender norms. They undermine reproductive justice by prioritising demographic goals over autonomy. We need a rights-based approach grounded in choice, dignity and equitable well-being.
www.theindiaforum.in/public-polic...
www.theindiaforum.in/public-polic...
Women’s Autonomy in an Era of Pro-Natalist Policies
Pro-natalist policies, now acquiring traction in India, are tools of social control reinforcing gender norms. These agendas undermine reproductive justice by prioritising demographic goals over autono...
www.theindiaforum.in
November 21, 2025 at 5:39 AM
Pro-natalist policies in India are tools of social control reinforcing gender norms. They undermine reproductive justice by prioritising demographic goals over autonomy. We need a rights-based approach grounded in choice, dignity and equitable well-being.
www.theindiaforum.in/public-polic...
www.theindiaforum.in/public-polic...
Renewing data-sharing agreements between India-China & addressing India’s concerns over China’s proposed “super dam” in Tibet are vital steps towards restoring trust & cooperation esp in managing shared transboundary water resources.
www.theindiaforum.in/forum/india-...
www.theindiaforum.in/forum/india-...
India-China Relations and the Water Question
Renewing data-sharing agreements between India and China, and addressing India’s concerns over China’s proposed “super dam” in Tibet are vital steps towards restoring trust and cooperation, particular...
www.theindiaforum.in
November 20, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Renewing data-sharing agreements between India-China & addressing India’s concerns over China’s proposed “super dam” in Tibet are vital steps towards restoring trust & cooperation esp in managing shared transboundary water resources.
www.theindiaforum.in/forum/india-...
www.theindiaforum.in/forum/india-...
Lack of freedom in order to serve a leader’s vanity is troubling; lack of freedom coupled with a larger social project is even more dangerous. While a leader can be defeated, harm from an ideological project is deeper and much harder to reverse.
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
Remembering the Emergency
A diverse set of essays on the Emergency explores its political & social dimensions. While the editors of the volume do not foreground parallels with the present, the shadow of current democratic anxi...
www.theindiaforum.in
November 19, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Lack of freedom in order to serve a leader’s vanity is troubling; lack of freedom coupled with a larger social project is even more dangerous. While a leader can be defeated, harm from an ideological project is deeper and much harder to reverse.
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
Reposted by The India Forum
Then we don't talk about what is happening in India a huge amount but this piece by Angshuman Choudhury in @theindiaforum.bsky.social on deaths in Assam's detention centre for suspected foreigners while grim, is an important read.
12/
12/
Death, Dying, and Everything that Follows in Assam
In Assam's detention centre for suspected foreigners, the state wages an attritional assault against the lives of the detained. But that is only one part of a majoritatian fantasy to create a sinister...
www.theindiaforum.in
November 16, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Then we don't talk about what is happening in India a huge amount but this piece by Angshuman Choudhury in @theindiaforum.bsky.social on deaths in Assam's detention centre for suspected foreigners while grim, is an important read.
12/
12/
Essays on the Emergency explores its political & social dimensions. While the editors of the volume do not foreground parallels with the present, the shadow of current democratic anxieties persists, underscoring the need for deeper analysis of this moment.
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
Remembering the Emergency
A diverse set of essays on the Emergency explores its political & social dimensions. While the editors of the volume do not foreground parallels with the present, the shadow of current democratic anxi...
www.theindiaforum.in
November 17, 2025 at 4:59 AM
Essays on the Emergency explores its political & social dimensions. While the editors of the volume do not foreground parallels with the present, the shadow of current democratic anxieties persists, underscoring the need for deeper analysis of this moment.
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
www.theindiaforum.in/book-reviews...
When the newly elected New York mayor Zohran Mamdani was recently mocked for eating with his hands, it exposed the enduring afterlife of colonial hierarchies.
www.theindiaforum.in/tiffin/finge...
www.theindiaforum.in/tiffin/finge...
Finger-lickin’ Food and the Civilising Mission
When the newly elected New York mayor Zohran Mamdani was recently mocked for eating with his hands, it exposed the enduring afterlife of colonial hierarchies.
www.theindiaforum.in
November 14, 2025 at 5:19 AM
When the newly elected New York mayor Zohran Mamdani was recently mocked for eating with his hands, it exposed the enduring afterlife of colonial hierarchies.
www.theindiaforum.in/tiffin/finge...
www.theindiaforum.in/tiffin/finge...