‘No One’ Killed This Manipur MLA, and That Defines the State’s Accountability Crisis
Vungzagin Valte, a Manipur MLA from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), died on February 21 after nearly three years of medical complications caused by a mob attack during the 2023 violence. His case remains pending and no arrests have been reported so far. The continuing absence of visible justice may further deepen the political disillusionment of the Kuki-Zo community in its relationship with the state government.
Detention Without Accurate Evidence Threatens Constitutional Liberty in Wangchuk’s Case
India’s Supreme Court is scrutinising the preventive detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk after noticing a prima facie discrepancy between the Ladakhi speech he delivered and the translated transcript relied upon by government authorities to justify his confinement, along with a possible failure to supply the complete evidentiary record to him. The main constitutional concern arising from this development is whether the extraordinary executive power to detain without trial has been exercised on the basis of material that is accurate, genuine and procedurally fair.
New IT Rule Orders 3-Hour Content Removal, Threatening Free Speech, Privacy
The central government has notified amendments to the Information Technology Rules, requiring online platforms to remove content within three hours of receiving an official government order, and introducing new legal requirements for detecting, labelling and tracing AI generated or altered media. The design risks rapid removal of lawful speech and deeper intrusion into user privacy because platforms that fail to follow government orders can lose their legal protection from being held responsible for what users post.
Indian Accused in US Sikh Separatist Assassination Plot Pleads Guilty
An Indian national, accused by U.S. prosecutors of working at the direction of an Indian government employee to arrange the assassination of Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York, has pleaded guilty in a U.S. court.
8,630 Complaints Against Sitting Judges in 10 Years
On February 13, the Union Law Ministry told the Lok Sabha that the office of the Chief Justice of India received 8,360 complaints against sitting judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts across the 10 year period from 2016 to 2025, based on data supplied by the Supreme Court. The disclosure invites a closer look at how judicial accountability works, and what this information reveals about public trust in the courts.
Why a Former Army Chief’s Book Has Caused a Furore
India’s former army chief, General M.M. Naravane, has alleged in an unpublished memoir that political leaders failed to give the army clear operational directions during the 2020 border crisis with China. The allegation, brought to public attention by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in parliament, is serious because it raises questions about civilian command responsibility in military engagements, and whether India’s highest political office abdicated its role during a critical national security moment.
A Political Science View of Assam CM’s Threat Against Activist Harsh Mander
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has threatened to file “at least 100 cases” against activist Harsh Mander after Mander lodged a legal complaint accusing him of hate speech against Bengali Muslims. The threat suggests that Sarma sees legal action as a means to settle political scores rather than address genuine legal concerns.
Supreme Court Affirms Menstrual Health as Part of Right to Life
Adolescent girls in many parts of India miss several days of school each month during their periods due to lack of sanitary products, inadequate toilets and fear of public embarrassment. In response to this widespread exclusion, the Supreme Court of India has ruled that access to menstrual health is part of the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. The ruling affirms that denying girls the means to manage their periods in school violates their right to live with dignity, safety and equal opportunity.
Manipur: Kuki-Zo Groups Denounce Shaurya Chakra Award to CRPF Officer
A Kuki-Zo tribal group has condemned the Indian government’s conferment of the Shaurya Chakra to a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer allegedly involved in the November 2024 killing of 10 civilians in Manipur, calling it a “state endorsement of the extrajudicial killing.”
Which Article in the Indian Constitution Defines Good Governance?
Every party or coalition that comes to power brings its own definition of “good governance.” And each version reflects a political ideology. But in doing so, they shift attention away from the basic and non-negotiable duties a government owes its citizens – the duties written into the Constitution. There is one article, and sadly we seldom talk about it, that defines with precision the constitutional instruction on what governance must achieve.
Supreme Court Judge: Only Courts Should Decide Judge Transfers, Not Government
A sitting judge of the Supreme Court of India, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, has publicly stated that the transfer of judges is solely an internal matter of the judiciary and that government involvement in such decisions is constitutionally impermissible. His statement a recent instance in which the Supreme Court collegium, the body responsible for judicial appointments and transfers, formally recorded that a transfer had occurred at the executive’s request.
Kuki-Zo Woman Survived the Violence, but Not the Wait for Justice
Abducted and gang-raped at the age of 18 during the early days of violence in Manipur, a Kuki-Zo woman died waiting for justice on January 10, 2026, in a hospital in Guwahati, more than 500 kilometres away. Her death has triggered renewed outrage and demands for accountability and structural overhaul in Manipur’s administration.
States Can Now Prosecute Central Officials for Corruption, Says Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that state governments have full legal authority to prosecute central government officials for corruption through their own police forces or Anti-Corruption Bureaus (ACBs), without needing any permission or involvement from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This is a welcome development for state governments, especially those run by opposition parties, and for citizens, because it strengthens legal accountability and curbs the Centre’s ability to delay or block investigations by claiming that only central agencies can act.
Manipur Rape Survivor Dies After 20 Months in Trauma Care; Mother Pleads for Justice
A 20-year-old Kuki-Zo tribal woman who was abducted, gang-raped and left for dead during the early days of the ethnic violence in Manipur died on January 10 from medical complications caused by the injuries she suffered nearly 20 months earlier. Her mother, speaking to Newsreel Asia, said all she wants now is justice for the heinous crime.
India Averaged Over 3 Hate Speech Events Per Day in 2025, Says Report
In 2025, India recorded 1,318 in-person hate speech events, averaging more than three per day and overwhelmingly led by Hindu nationalist groups and political actors affiliated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, according to a report by the India Hate Lab. The report supports the inference that a political choice is behind the sustained scale of public incitement, which undermines both the rule of law and the idea of equal citizenship.
India’s New Labour Codes Have Dismantled Legal Protections for Journalists
The central government has brought into force the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, repealing the two special laws that had governed the service conditions and wages of working journalists since 1955. The change marks a retreat from the idea that journalism requires tailored labour protection and replaces it with a generic framework that weakens the professional security of the press.
New Policy Risks Forest Clearing Being Counted as a Green Activity
The Union environment ministry has issued a directive allowing both private and government entities to lease forest land for afforestation and timber projects without paying the environmental compensation charges that were meant to discourage ecological loss. While afforestation can help restore damaged ecosystems when done with native species, it can also involve commercial plantations that offer little ecological value. The new policy risks treating forest clearing as an environmental contribution, even when it replaces complex ecosystems with single-species plantations.
Supreme Court Orders Full Forensic Test of ‘Manipur Tapes’ on CM Biren Singh
The Supreme Court has directed the Manipur government to send the full 48-minute audio recording, allegedly featuring former chief minister Biren Singh discussing his role in the 2023 ethnic violence, to the National Forensic Science Laboratory (NFSL) in Gujarat for voice analysis and authentication. The violence left over 250 people dead, displaced tens of thousands, and areas inhabited by the Kuki-Zo tribes remain cut off from Meitei-dominated regions to this day.
If Millions of Indians Can’t Vote Now, Why Were They on the Rolls Before?
India’s Election Commission (EC) has deleted over 1.2 million names from electoral rolls in just two districts of Uttar Pradesh as part of its “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) exercise. Some deletions may involve Absent, Shifted or Deceased cases, but such entries cannot explain the removal of over a quarter of the electorate. One is, therefore, left to ask whether the Commission has any explanation beyond the two clear possibilities, that these voters were either wrongly included in the past or are wrongly excluded now. Both reflect poorly on the institution.
Why the Supreme Court’s Bail Ruling in the Delhi Riots Case Raises Legal Concerns
The Supreme Court has granted bail to five people accused in the 2020 Delhi riots case but refused bail to two, Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. The court said these two played a more central or “higher” role in the events leading to the violence, and based on that, should remain in jail. But this distinction, between so-called leaders and others, is deeply concerning, as it assigns degrees of guilt before a trial has even begun.