India’s 138 Cities Are Growing Richer and More Polluted; Is That Progress?
A study has found that 138 Indian cities belong to the category where economic expansion came with worsening air quality, the highest share of any country in the world at 35.4 percent of the global total. The finding raises a question about whose prosperity is being measured when the price of growth is paid in the air that everyone, regardless of income, has no choice but to breathe.
Public Donations Free Kerala Migrant Worker from Saudi Death Row. Where Was the State?
Abdul Rahim, a Keralite migrant worker who had been on death row in Saudi Arabia, returned home on May 28 after nearly 20 years in prison, freed only after a community fundraising campaign collected 340 million (34 crore) rupees in blood money. The case exposes how completely a migrant worker’s life can come to depend on a foreign legal system that their family cannot navigate, and how the resilience of Kerala’s diaspora networks, genuine as it is, has come to substitute for protections the state was never equipped to provide.
For India’s Informal Workers, Heatwaves Expose the Limits of the Labour Codes
Summers in much of India have always been tough, but what is happening now is far more severe. It is a public health emergency unfolding under the guise of a weather event. In recent years, temperatures have remained above 40°C for days at a stretch, leading to tens of thousands of suspected heatstroke cases across the country. And those who face the greatest risk are workers in the informal sector, who spend long hours outdoors and continue to lack strong, enforceable protections against extreme heat under India’s labour framework.
Muslim Gig Workers: His Name Was Bad for Business, So He Buried It
There is a specific kind of humiliation that disguises itself as practicality. Gig workers, especially Muslims, have been changing their names on professional apps, not for amusement, but because their real names cost them customers. The decision has become larger than a personal adjustment, pointing to a larger social reality hidden behind these choices. I have come across this issue at least three times in recent months.
U.S.-Israel-Iran War: Will India’s Fuel Prices Rise as Crude Oil Prices Climb?
As the Strait of Hormuz remains shut for nearly two months due to the Israel-U.S.-Iran war, crude oil prices have climbed by over 80%. India’s four-year freeze on domestic fuel prices may no longer be sustainable, with the state-owned companies mandated to hold those prices down already recording losses at a scale that points to a deepening profitability crisis.
India Pays Double for Fertiliser Imports as Middle East War Disrupts Supply
India has agreed to import 2.5 million metric tons of urea at prices ranging from $935 to $959 per ton, nearly double the $508 to $512 per ton paid in its previous tender just two months ago. For ordinary Indians, a near-doubling of urea import prices will eventually translate into higher food costs.
AI-Driven Changes at Work Taking a Psychological Toll on Workers, a New Study Finds
A global study has found that work is now in a state of constant change due to rapid technological advances, with India feeling this more acutely, as roles, tools and expectations keep changing all at once. As workers are having to adjust, the pressure shows in how they feel, with 67 percent in India saying they are anxious about becoming obsolete.
Adani Family’s Wealth Grew Over 600% in 6 Years; Bottom Half’s Share Declined
India’s bottom half owns just 6.4% of the country’s total wealth, while an extremely small group at the top holds wealth equal to nearly half of the country’s annual economic output, according to Wealth Tracker India 2026, released by the Centre for Financial Accountability and Tax The Top. The report also states that the wealth of Gautam Adani and his family rose by over 600% between 2019 and 2025. The comparison offers a sense of scale.
Falling Rupee May Raise Daily Costs and Hit Jobs and Investment in India
The Indian rupee is falling sharply and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is struggling to hold it steady even after taking strong steps. The weakening rupee, which is driven by high oil costs, may raise fuel and transport prices, increase prices of goods and services, and reduce business investment, hiring and household spending.
Life Is Getting Harder for India’s Middle Class as Costs Rise and Jobs Shrink
India’s middle class is getting economically squeezed as automation is destroying jobs, wages have stagnated and the cost of living has outpaced incomes, according to an analysis by the BBC. The class that pays the state’s taxes and drives its consumption is borrowing to cover basic expenses, putting the foundations of the post-1991 growth model under pressure.
What Proposed FCRA Amendment Means for Democracy, NGOs and Millions Who Depend on Them
The central government has proposed changes to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, which regulates how non-profit organisations receive foreign funding for work in health, education, nutrition and other welfare sectors. The amendment would give the government greater power to halt funding and also take control of assets, including property, created with that money, potentially reducing humanitarian, rights-based and climate-related advocacy work in the country.
Iran War: Costs Rising in India After 4 Weeks, Impact May Grow if It Continues
Over the past four weeks, the war in West Asia has disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and increased the cost of raw materials and components used not only in fuel, but also in medicines, plastics and packaged goods in India. If the war continues for two more months, the impact is likely to become much harsher and more widespread in household expenses and access to essential services, as seen in many countries around the world during earlier conflicts.
India Holds Oil Reserves for Only 9.5 Days of Demand Amid Gulf Supply Risks
India’s strategic petroleum reserves can cover only about 9.5 days of national crude oil demand if the reserves are filled to their maximum capacity, according to a government response obtained through the Right to Information law. The disclosure places India at the lower end of energy preparedness at a time of heightened supply risks linked to the ongoing Iran war.
Supreme Court Says ED, CBI Appeared Reluctant in Probe Into Anil Ambani-Led Companies’ Loan Fraud Allegations
The Supreme Court has said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) appeared reluctant to proceed in the alleged loan fraud case involving Anil Ambani-led companies. A court pressing the country’s main financial crime investigators to act in a case involving public sector bank money raises uncomfortable questions about the state’s willingness to pursue accountability where corporate power is involved.
Himalayan Glaciers Shrinking Fast, Study Warns of Water, Disaster Risks
A new analysis reports that glaciers across the Hindu-Kush Himalaya, which stretches across eight countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar, have been reduced by 12 percent in 20 years. This may lead to uncertainty in water availability and increased exposure to natural calamities in South and Southeast Asia in the coming decades, a trend scientists say is already contributing to rising risks of glacial lake floods, avalanches and landslides in the Himalayan region.
India’s Economy Is Rising in Global Rankings, Will Millions Rise With It?
India is on track to become the world’s fourth largest economy in nominal gross domestic product, a measure of output at current market prices, as it moves toward overtaking Japan. But, one of the world’s top consulting firms asks if this rise in the global rankings on paper translate into larger gains for the people who live and work in India?
Study Finds 40% of Graduates Seeking Work Are Unemployed
A major labour study from Azim Premji University reports that about 40 percent of graduates in India’s labour force are unemployed, a level that has remained largely unchanged for four decades. The finding shows that economic growth has failed to create enough skilled jobs for the number of graduates the country now produces.
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.