Supreme Court Raises Alarm Over States’ Free Electricity Push
The Supreme Court has questioned the Tamil Nadu government’s policy of providing free electricity to certain consumer groups, opening a wider debate about where welfare support ends and political freebie culture begins. The central concern in this dispute is how far governments can expand subsidies without putting public finances and long-term development under strain.
Ordinary Indians, More Than Business Elites, Sustain India’s Generosity
A new study estimates that India’s household giving totals about 540 billion (54,000 crore) rupees a year across cash, in-kind support and volunteering, with about 68% of surveyed households reporting some form of giving. Read alongside evidence of highly concentrated corporate and wealthy donor philanthropy, the findings indicate that India’s culture of generosity is sustained in large measure by widespread participation among ordinary households.
A New Treatment for Diabetes Brings Hope for India
A new class of medicines is quietly changing the way doctors treat type 2 diabetes. These drugs, called SGLT-2 inhibitors, are taken once a day as tablets. In the U.K., researchers have found that they lower the risk of early death by nearly a quarter compared to older diabetes drugs. For India, where diabetes affects over 100 million people and is often diagnosed late, this could make a serious difference, if doctors and policy makers move fast.
Why 300 Million Workers Plan to Strike Across India on Feb. 12
Central trade unions, supported by farmer groups, have organised a nationwide strike on February 12 involving over 300 million workers, who plan to disrupt key sectors including banking, transport and government services. The scale and composition of this mobilisation suggest a deepening conflict between policy direction and popular consent.
Parliament Cannot Question PM Cares Fund
The Prime Minister’s Office has said that questions about the PM Cares Fund cannot be asked in Parliament. This means that elected members of the Lok Sabha are not allowed to raise queries about how the fund is run or how the money is used.
Economic Survey: Despite Growth, Most Indians Live With Job Insecurity
The Economic Survey 2025-26, released on January 29, presents an economy that appears strong in headline numbers, yet several of its findings raise concern for everyday life, with direct effects on households through jobs, incomes, prices, security and access to public support.
Government’s Low Healthcare Spending Leads to Structural Injustice, Study Shows
A new study, which analysed healthcare spending in India from 1991 to 2023, has shown that when the government spends less on healthcare, families are forced to cover more of their medical costs on their own, often pushing them into debt or leading them to delay or skip treatment. This means every funding decision by the government directly affects whether healthcare becomes more accessible or turns into a financial burden for the majority of the citizens.
How India Ranks in Quality of Life in 2026
India is ranked 63rd out of 89 countries in the 2026 Quality of Life Index, with a total score of 122.3 which is below the global average. The rankings are based on multiple measurable factors that affect daily life, including cost of living, healthcare, traffic, pollution, property prices, safety and purchasing power.
India Could Save $170 Billion by Closing Coal Power Plants Early
India could save about $170 billion (14.1 lakh crore rupees) by retiring its coal-fired power plants earlier than scheduled, according to a new study, which adds that cutting emissions can also improve public health and economic efficiency within India’s current energy system.
Dignity of Labour in India Must Mean Justice
In India, the idea of dignity of labour is missing in large part due to the caste system. While some discussion has begun, much of it centres on showing respect to workers or speaking favourably about their occupations. This limited framing can mask deeper issues of discrimination, exclusion and injustice. It does little to uphold the dignity of either the worker or the work.
What Actually Works in Today’s Job Market? A Guide for Young Professionals
A software engineer, Marmik Patel, applied to hundreds of jobs without success before changing his approach. By building products and networking in person, he eventually drew interest from over 80 recruiters, he shared on X. Does this suggest that traditional methods like mass online applications are no longer effective in competitive markets where access to opportunity is unevenly distributed?
India’s Football Breakdown: Why John Abraham Said ‘Shame on Us’
India’s top footballers have publicly appealed to FIFA, warning that the sport in the country is facing “permanent paralysis” due to a failure of basic administration. Actor and football club co-owner John Abraham responded to the players’ appeal with a blunt message: “Shame on us... this is what we have come to.” Their words point to the collapse of a national system that, despite widespread public interest in football, still cannot provide Indian players with stable competitions, professional security or a functioning league.
What to Expect as States’ Debt Rises to Record Levels
Indian states are likely to borrow an unprecedented 5 trillion rupees between January and March 2026 to meet their routine government spending, the largest amount ever raised by state governments in a single quarter in India’s history, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This record debt may push up interest rates on home and business loans, delay government-funded work like school repairs, road construction and public healthcare, and leave less money for job schemes, rural wages and welfare payments.
What We Can Do to Resist Gig Worker Exploitation
Hundreds of thousands of gig workers across India logged out of the apps they work for, staging a coordinated strike to demand better wages, safety and dignity from their employers. But the focus now shifts to us, the customers. These platforms, like Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit and Amazon, operate because we use them. So what could we do, as consumers, to support the workers who bring us our food, groceries and parcels?
Biggest Ever Exit by Foreign Investors Hits Indian Markets, Here’s Why It Matters
Foreign investors pulled out a record 1.6 trillion rupees, or 18 billion dollars, from the Indian stock market in 2025, even though share prices kept rising, according to a report. This suggests that global investors see Indian stocks as overvalued and expect weaker profits ahead, which can reduce foreign capital, slow job growth, weaken the rupee and raise everyday prices.
Algorithms Now Decide Wages, Work, Punishment in India’s App Economy
A new study on gig workers employed through digital platforms has found that app-based companies are using algorithms to make decisions about pay, work assignments and punishment without offering any explanation or way to appeal. The system deprives workers of basic rights, treats them as disposable and creates conditions that must be called out as unjust and dangerous.
Cobrapost: Public-Funded Loan Firm Routed ₹100 Billion to Insiders Without Disclosure
An investigation by the journalism organisation Cobrapost has alleged that a large, publicly listed finance company, which gives out loans using money borrowed from banks, financial institutions and everyday investors, carried out transactions worth over 100 billion rupees (₹10,000 crore) that appear to benefit family members and senior executives, with many of these deals not properly disclosed as related-party transactions.
New Scheme Replacing NREGA Dismantles the Idea of Economic Rights
The Parliament has passed a new law called the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB–G RAM G, repealing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which had legally assured rural Indians a right to employment for up to 100 days a year. The new law removes this guarantee, alters how wages are determined and shifts more financial responsibility to the states. The implications are significant for India’s federal structure, its poorest citizens and the very idea of economic rights.
India Adds Millionaires Amid Shrinking Wealth and Deepening Inequality, Report Says
India now has 917,000 US dollar millionaires, with 39,000 added in just one year, according to the UBS Global Wealth Report 2025. This rise in high-net-worth individuals has occurred alongside a fall in average adult wealth, marking a sharp divide between visible gains at the top and economic stagnation across the broader population.
50% of Indians Earn 15% of National Income: World Inequality Report
Half of India’s population earns just 15 percent of the country’s total income, according to new findings from the World Inequality Report 2026. The top 10 percent, by contrast, take home nearly 58 percent of all income.