-The Hindu The government has pushed its ideological agenda even at the cost of constitutional values and welfare The Modi government has embarked on a publicity blitz to mark the first 100 days of its second term. Since even accomplished purveyors of propaganda may leave out some achievements, I write to set the record straight. The most prominent achievement of Modi 2.0 has been its emphasis on pushing through its ideological agenda, even...

-The Hindu Local governments remain hamstrung and ineffective — mere agents to do the bidding of higher level governments Democratic decentralisation is barely alive in India. Over 25 years after the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments (they mandated the establishment of panchayats and municipalities as elected local governments) devolved a range of Powers and responsibilities and made them accountable to the people for their implementation, very little and actual progress has been...

-The Indian Express The apex court said that the Delhi government is bound to ensure that the financial health of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is maintained properly and no steps are taken that might result in losses. The Supreme Court Friday came down heavily on the Delhi government for its ambitious proposal to make metro travel free for women, saying it might lead the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to losses. The...

-Hindustan Times The Constitution promises religion-neutral citizenship. NRC and its fallout could upend that The controversy unfolding in Assam over the National Register of Citizens (NRC), published on August 31, has brought to the fore important fault lines in the construction of citizenship in contemporary India. In particular, it places the spotlight on the role of key institutional actors – the bureaucracy and judiciary – in adjudicating citizenship. Crucially, the implementation of...

-The Indian Express Maharashtra does not rank among the top five states in terms of loans disbursed. It could garner just 4% share in the total loans but generated the maximum additional jobs of 15%. Just five states, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar and West Bengal, account for about 70% of total loans disbursed — by value — under the Mudra scheme during April 2015 to December 2017, according to the...