Indian States Are Drowning in Debt, Says CAG Report
A report released by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) shows that India’s states have accumulated around 60 trillion (60 lakh crore) rupees in debt by 2022–23, more than three times what they owed a decade ago. It shows that many states are no longer borrowing mainly for development, but are now depending on loans just to fund their basic governance.
Manipur: Assam Rifles Ambush Raises Questions on AFSPA Rollback Strategy
Two soldiers from the Assam Rifles were killed and five others injured in an ambush by armed attackers on Sept. 19 as their convoy was passing through a crowded area in Manipur’s Bishnupur district, which had recently lost its designation under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). The incident has exposed serious flaws in how security laws have been withdrawn from conflict-hit parts of the state.
Nepal’s Gen Z Must Move from ‘Nepo Kid’ to ‘Every Kid Matters’
Nepal’s Gen Z recently led nationwide protests sparked by a ban on social media but driven by anger at corruption, nepotism and authoritarianism. The slogan “Nepo Kid” helped mobilise young people to reject inherited privilege and dynastic politics. Now that the government has been overthrown, the movement cannot remain defined only by what it opposes. It must advance a constructive agenda. One way forward is to move from “Nepo Kid” to “Every Kid Matters,” making inclusion a central demand. It is essential because the contrast between elite children and ordinary children will remain hollow unless the inequalities among ordinary children are addressed first.
Inside India’s Hidden Digital Market of Incest, Child Porn, Misogyny
On Sept. 10, an Instagram conversation with a young boy led me into a disturbing digital ecosystem where violent sexual content circulates freely. I now fear that a generation of boys may grow up normalising harmful sexual behaviour and misogyny.
Can Nepal Break Its Cycle of Revolutions?
Nepal has recently toppled its government, the fourth such event since 1950. What matters now is recognising that these recurring storms are not caused by failed politicians alone. They come from a “state” that remains unreformed, no matter who holds power. Nepal can end its cycle of revolutions only by reforming the institutions that have blocked reform, protected the powerful and outlasted every elected government.
Nepal’s Rulers Paid for Seeking a Monopoly Over ‘Illegitimate’ Violence
A government does not survive by force alone, but by the public’s acceptance that it has the right to use force in the first place. Nepal’s government seemed unaware of this basic principle. The little trust that remained, already hanging by a thread, gave way completely on September 8, when police used brutal violence against young protesters. By the time ambulances began arriving with school and college students bleeding from bullet wounds to their heads and chests, the state’s claim to legitimacy was in free fall.
Nepal’s Gen Z Show People Hold Power Above the Constitution
In Nepal, a Gen Z movement recently brought down the government and demanded that Sushila Karki, a former Chief Justice of the country, be appointed interim Prime Minister. Although the Constitution bars anyone who has held that office from becoming head of government, the state agreed. This agreement demonstrated a core idea in political theory that the people, not the written text, are the true source of authority. It also stands as a warning to governments everywhere.
Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 Partially Stayed by Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked certain parts of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, a law that governs how Muslim religious and charitable properties are managed in India. The Court’s interim order, delivered on Sept. 14, comes in response to widespread legal challenges from political leaders and Muslim organisations. The judges noted that it is rare for courts to pause the implementation of a law passed by Parliament, and such action is taken only when there is a strong legal basis.
India is Falling Behind in the Fight Against Lifestyle Diseases, a Study Says
A study by The Lancet medical journal reveals a disturbing trend for India. While most of the world made progress in reducing deaths caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which include diseases linked to lifestyle factors, between 2010 and 2019, India experienced a deterioration in this area compared to the previous decade. That means not only did India fail to reduce deaths as much as before, but in fact, more people were dying from NCDs during this period than should have been the case based on earlier improvements.
Justice Denied in Manipur, Modi Brings Development Instead
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Manipur on September 13, more than 28 months after the outbreak of violence, offered development schemes worth over 73 billion rupees (7,300 crore). What he did not offer was the one thing most needed in the state. Justice. This reveals the Centre’s unwillingness to confront the failures of governance that enabled the violence in the first place.
Urban Indian Households Struggle To Cope With Rising Food Prices
Indian households in large cities and nearby suburbs are feeling the strain of higher food prices even as they adapt in creative ways, according to a report. About six in 10 households can pay their bills and save a little, but roughly four in 10 say they are either barely coping or financially insecure. Food inflation and volatile vegetable prices have made cost of living the top risk Indians see for the coming year.
Prime Minister’s Praise for Bhagwat Blurs Line Between State and Ideology
Prime Minister Modi marked the 75th birthday of Mohan Bhagwat, head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), with a newspaper tribute calling his tenure the most transformative in the RSS’s 100-year history. This links the authority of the Prime Minister’s office with an unelected ideological group, and therefore raises concerns about political neutrality, ethical conduct and the symbolism of state alignment with a single worldview.
New Rajasthan Bill Creates Unequal Rules for Religious Conversion
The Rajasthan Assembly passed the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025, on Sept. 9. One of its most troubling features is how it redefines religious conversion, saying that returning to one’s “ancestral religion” is not considered a conversion at all. This definition, also found in similar laws in other states, creates an uneven legal standard that protects some religious identities while exposing others to state scrutiny, criminal charges and harsh punishment.
Why Nepal’s Gen Z Has Turned Against the Old Political Guard
Nineteen young protesters were killed in Nepal on Sept. 8 after security forces opened fire during demonstrations sparked by the government’s shutdown of major social media platforms. Their deaths have marked a turning point in Nepal’s politics, as a generation that has already seen good governance in action from younger public servants is now rising to remove a ruling class it no longer trusts.
Punjab Floods Kill 48, Ravage Villages and Farmland
Heavy rains and swelling rivers have unleashed devastating floods across Punjab, leaving 48 people dead and displacing hundreds of thousands. More than 2,050 villages in 23 districts have been inundated, affecting nearly 390,000 (3.9 lakh) residents. Restoring farmland productivity is now the state government’s most urgent task, while the Centre must move quickly to release relief funds.
Maharashtra Deputy CM Allegedly Threatens IPS Officer Over Mining Crackdown
A video has emerged in which Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is purportedly heard ordering a senior police officer to stop taking action against illegal soil excavation. Pawar’s party has attempted to explain the exchange, but the incident contradicts the constitutional framework that separates political authority from administrative functioning.
Journalist Shot Days After Reporting on Assam’s Eviction Drive
A journalist from Nagaland in Northeast India was shot twice during a reporting trip in the neighbouring state of Manipur. The attack came days after a senior political leader in Nagaland publicly rebuked him for airing critical views on the Assam government’s eviction drive.
Are Nepal’s Leaders Blocking Social Media to Contain Rising Political Rivals?
Nepal’s government has ordered a nationwide shutdown of 26 social media platforms. The move appears aimed at suppressing independent political voices who have demonstrated credible governance and built popular support by engaging directly with citizens online, outside the control of established party structures.
Indian Citizens Expelled, Foreign Migrants Exempted in Unequal State Action
Two contrasting news reports reveal institutional inconsistency in how citizenship rights are identified and protected. A 25-year-old Muslim woman, her husband and child were expelled to Bangladesh from Delhi despite holding multiple documents proving Indian citizenship, while the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) exempted undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh from prosecution under immigration laws if they entered India before Dec. 31, 2024.
Earthquake in Afghanistan Kills 1,400, Demands Global Response Despite Politics
At least 1,400 people have died and more than 3,100 have been injured in a powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck northeastern Afghanistan on the night of Aug. 31. The scale of devastation and the lack of timely global support indicate the growing tendency to let geopolitics override humanitarian imperatives.