In the months leading up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the ruling party claimed that nearly 250 million people had emerged from poverty during the 10 years of its government. However, an investigation by The Reporters’ Collective shows that the figure was the culmination of discreet efforts by an inter-ministerial unit to counter India’s global rankings.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said his administration will impose equivalent tariffs on Indian goods in response to the duties that India levies on American products. This means whenever India taxes U.S. goods, the United States will mirror those charges to ensure what he described as a reciprocal arrangement.

A constitutional amendment bill aiming to hold Lok Sabha and state assembly elections simultaneously is set for introduction in the Lok Sabha on Dec. 17, a week after the Cabinet approved it. Critics, however, warn that “one nation, one election” could weaken the ability of local constituencies to have their interests accurately represented, among several other issues.

In states across India, many tuberculosis patients incur burdensome out-of-pocket expenses for their treatment, even though government programs ensure no-charge diagnosis and care. A newly published study has found that about 45% of households with a tuberculosis patient bear costs exceeding one-fifth of their annual incomes.

A six-member opposition delegation in the Rajya Sabha has submitted an impeachment motion against Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, accusing him of engaging in hate speech and inciting communal disharmony, which is in violation of the Indian Constitution. The motion states that the comments made by the judge were “inflammatory, prejudiced, and directly targeted at minority communities.”

In 2024, at least 54 journalists worldwide lost their lives either on the job or because of their reporting, according to the year-end roundup by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which shows that over half of these deaths occurred in conflict zones, with Gaza identified as the most lethal region globally. The report also mentions two of the five journalists currently detained in India.

Several petitions were submitted to the Supreme Court on Dec. 11 to defend the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, on the eve of a hearing where the law’s validity will be scrutinised. The legislation mandates the preservation of the religious character of places of worship as they stood on August 15, 1947, which blocks political mobilisation around the emotive issues concerning perceived “historical wrongs.”

The outgoing Union Revenue Secretary, Sanjay Malhotra, has been appointed as the next Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), set to take office on Dec. 11 for a three-year term. To explain the importance and relevance of the country’s central bank, the following describes its role in our lives.

The outgoing Union Revenue Secretary, Sanjay Malhotra, has been appointed as the next Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), set to take office on Dec. 11 for a three-year term. To explain the importance and relevance of the country’s central bank, the following describes its role in our lives.

Eight more farmers sustained injuries on Dec. 8 when Haryana police discharged tear gas shells at protesters attempting to enter Delhi on foot to voice their demands for legal guarantees for Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and other longstanding grievances. The incident is the latest in a series of crackdowns this month, which have already resulted in injuries to at least 15 other farmers.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has claimed that the U.S. government, billionaire investor George Soros and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi are conspiring to destabilise India. The party alleged that the investigative media platform Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) plays a central role in this purported effort, while not questioning the factual basis of the investigative reports.

At least 15 farmers were injured and hospitalised after the Haryana police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters at the Shambhu border on Dec. 5. The demonstrators, who were seeking to enter Delhi, are part of a movement demanding government to address agricultural issues for the last five years.

Advocate Dushyant Dave has sharply criticised the judiciary for enabling divisive politics by permitting surveys of mosques over claims that they constructed on the remains of temples from the Mughal era. In a media interview, the lawyer directly accused India’s former Chief Justice, D.Y. Chandrachud, of undermining the Constitution and contributing to rising communal tensions.

One of the key proposals in the latest banking reform bill, which was debated in the Lok Sabha on Dec. 3, is to cut the government’s stake in public banks from 51% down to 26%. Some opposition members are calling it a move toward privatisation. There are at least four major concerns for citizens regarding Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, that the government needs to address.