-Newsclick.in "Whosoever comes to power; my request is to constitute a technical team and explore and work on all the possible options to address and curb this menace." Udta Punjab, a Bollywood film released in 2016, highlighted the issue of the severe drug problem in Punjab. The movie acted as an eye-opener for many in the state. After five years, as the state is ready for another Assembly poll, the film has...

-Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA), February 4, 2022 Since 2006, Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA) has been bringing out an analysis of the Union Budget every year soon after its presentation in Parliament. This publication aims to facilitate an informed discussion on the Budget focusing both on revenue and expenditure aspects, particularly around the social sectors, agriculture, rural economy, climate actions and provisioning of budgetary support for...

-The Hindu The case for reservations for women and Transgender persons in State jobs and higher education The Bihar government recently announced 33% horizontal reservation for women in State engineering and medical colleges. While reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) is referred to as vertical reservation, horizontal reservation refers to the equal opportunity provided to other categories of beneficiaries, such as...

-The Indian Express The Rules, first released as a draft in July, inviting objections and suggestions, had been criticised by the LGBTQ community for “taking away’’ their dignity by mandating that a third person, such as a District Magistrate, would verify, and subsequently certify the gender of a person. Transgender persons who want to declare their desired sex will no longer have to go through a medical examination in order to do...

-The Hindu Trans and non-binary individuals struggle with lack of funds, food, stigma, safety and mental health concerns Mumbai: Begging is no longer an option for Zoya Thomas Lobo (25), who is solely dependent on the money she used to make in the women’s compartments of Mumbai’s locals. On an average day before the lockdown, she would make anything between ₹500 and ₹1,100 on a daily basis. But the nationwide lockdown, in...