Odisha Official’s Assault Shows Use of Political Power to Control Bureaucracy
NB, News Briefings, July 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, July 2025 Vishal Arora

Odisha Official’s Assault Shows Use of Political Power to Control Bureaucracy

A senior official in Odisha was assaulted inside his office by political supporters of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Jagannath Pradhan, who was arrested days later, after government officers across the state went on mass leave in protest. The incident reveals that political actors in the state believe the bureaucracy exists to obey them, and that violence is a legitimate way to enforce that obedience – which has consequences also for ordinary citizens who depend on a fair, functioning state.

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The Quiet Power of a 90-Year-Old Monk That China Cannot Silence

The Quiet Power of a 90-Year-Old Monk That China Cannot Silence

China stands as a global giant, with the world’s second largest economy, an expanding military footprint and growing influence in international diplomacy. Yet for all its power, it remains deeply unsettled by a monk living in exile in the Indian Himalayas – the Dalai Lama, who will turn 90 on July 6. The reason lies in what he symbolises and what China has failed to control despite decades of effort.

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Custodial Torture: ‘State Killing Its Own Citizens?’ Asks Madras High Court
NB, News Briefings, July 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, July 2025 Vishal Arora

Custodial Torture: ‘State Killing Its Own Citizens?’ Asks Madras High Court

Five police personnel in Tamil Nadu have been arrested for allegedly torturing a 29-year-old temple security guard to death in custody. He was detained without an FIR, subjected to prolonged assault and died without being charged or produced before a magistrate. The police, it seems, did not just act outside the law, they acted without regard for the existence of law altogether.

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Delhi’s Fuel Ban on Older Vehicles Misses the Real Polluters
NB, News Briefings, July 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, July 2025 Vishal Arora

Delhi’s Fuel Ban on Older Vehicles Misses the Real Polluters

Starting July 1, petrol pumps in Delhi have been told to stop giving fuel to diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years. These vehicles can also be impounded. Though the move is meant to reduce air pollution, it is based on the idea that the age of a vehicle shows how much it pollutes. This treats all old vehicles the same, even though many may be well-maintained or fitted with better technology to reduce emissions.

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Why Governments Need to Rethink Development and Its Costs
NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Guest User NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Guest User

Why Governments Need to Rethink Development and Its Costs

Nations and communities have long grappled with a difficult question: should nature be damaged to build roads, cities and industries, or does real development mean protecting the natural systems we rely on to live? In the case of the Kazhuveli wetlands, authorities in Tamil Nadu chose the former. But a wetland researcher argues that sometimes, preserving – or even reversing –development, what she calls “de-development,” may better serve both people and the environment.

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Forest Cleared Without Consent, Chhattisgarh Adivasis Protest
NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Shefali Khan NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Shefali Khan

Forest Cleared Without Consent, Chhattisgarh Adivasis Protest

Hundreds of police and forest officials felled thousands of trees to clear over 200 acres of dense forest land Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district on June 26 and 27 for a coal mining project linked to Adani Power. The operation took place without consultation with local Adivasi/tribal residents, which raises serious concerns over violations of forest rights laws and the sidelining of due procedures.

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Why Work and Descent Still Define Human Worth for Millions Worldwide
NB, News Briefings, Commentary, Featured Commentary Surabhi Singh NB, News Briefings, Commentary, Featured Commentary Surabhi Singh

Why Work and Descent Still Define Human Worth for Millions Worldwide

Caste is not new to Indians or many South Asians. For centuries, Dalits have faced deep-rooted discrimination, exclusion and poverty because of a rigid social order that links a person’s descent to their assigned work. But this kind of inherited inequality is not just an Indian story. Over 260 million people across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and even North America face similar treatment. Addressing it will require both building a coordinated, global institutional response and confronting the deeper human impulse to rank and divide.

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Report Finds 947 Hate Cases in 1 Year, Why It Should Worry Everyone
NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora

Report Finds 947 Hate Cases in 1 Year, Why It Should Worry Everyone

A new study has found nearly 950 hate-related incidents in India during the first year of the main ruling party’s third term. Religious minorities, especially Muslims and Christians, were the main targets of violence and hate speech. This rise in unchecked and largely unpunished hostility should concern all citizens, as it points to a breakdown in the rule of law and weakens the social contract – basic agreement that holds a diverse society together.

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Is Election Commission Turning Voter Verification in Bihar into a Citizenship Test?
NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora

Is Election Commission Turning Voter Verification in Bihar into a Citizenship Test?

Ahead of state elections in Bihar, the Election Commission (EC) has said it will make voters submit proof of their own and their parents’ birth details, including citizenship documents, as part of a special intensive revision of the electoral roll. The move imposes a level of bureaucratic scrutiny that is not only difficult to meet for many citizens, but also raises questions about the intention and timing of such an exercise in a politically sensitive state.

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50 Years After the Emergency, the Citizen-Politician Divide Remains
NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora

50 Years After the Emergency, the Citizen-Politician Divide Remains

Today marks 50 years since the Emergency was imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. She suspended constitutional rights, arrested political opponents, and centralised authority in a way that turned the democracy into something unrecognisable almost overnight. The anniversary reminds us that the power we give to our representatives can be used against us, and that the interests of ordinary people and those of the political elite do not always move in the same direction.

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How Wars Use Simplified Narratives to Justify Violence
NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora

How Wars Use Simplified Narratives to Justify Violence

In international conflicts, we often treat entire countries as if they share a single belief or intention. It makes it seem like all of America and Israel want to bomb Iran and Palestine, or that every Iranian threatens Israel and the U.S. This “monolith” thinking distorts our responses and fuels misdirected anger. It divides ordinary people as observers and lets those in power claim to speak for entire nations, even when many disagree within their borders.

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Rape Rising, Terror Risk High, Says US Travel Advisory on India
NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora

Rape Rising, Terror Risk High, Says US Travel Advisory on India

In a strongly worded advisory to its citizens, the United States government has warned against travel to several parts of India, citing the growing incidence of violent crime and the alleged threat of terrorism. The advisory places India under the “exercise increased caution” category, flagging sexual assault as one of the fastest growing crimes in the country.

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ED Summons Lawyers for Giving Legal Advice to Accused
NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora

ED Summons Lawyers for Giving Legal Advice to Accused

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently summoned two senior advocates over legal opinions given to a client under investigation, then withdrew the summons following widespread criticism from legal bodies across India for violating attorney-client privilege and undermining the independence of the legal profession. The move also suggests that once the ED opens an investigation, legal advice given to the accused itself becomes grounds for suspicion.

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Social and Psychological Cost of Karnataka’s 12-Hour Workday Proposal
NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora

Social and Psychological Cost of Karnataka’s 12-Hour Workday Proposal

The Karnataka government's proposal to extend the daily working hours from 10 to 12 and increase overtime allowances from 50 to 144 hours over three months runs counter to both the spirit and the scientific rationale of labour law. Such an amendment disregards decades of evidence about the physical, mental and social toll of prolonged work hours.

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The News Media Has Forgotten What Elections Are For
NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora

The News Media Has Forgotten What Elections Are For

On June 19, voters in five Assembly constituencies across Gujarat, Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal are casting their ballots to choose new representatives for seats that have fallen vacant. But reading the newspapers, that purpose is barely visible. As usual, most headlines have reduced the exercise to a contest between two alliances – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA and the Congress party-led INDIA bloc.

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Why Does the Government Fear a Caste Census?
NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora

Why Does the Government Fear a Caste Census?

The central government’s gazette notification for India’s upcoming 2027 census omits the word “caste.” This, despite earlier public assurances that caste data would be collected. The absence of explicit mention has triggered accusations of deliberate evasion. Is the reluctance tied to the disruptive potential of a full caste enumeration—one that could unsettle the ideological foundations of Hindu nationalist politics?

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What Students, Professionals Need to Do When AI Changes the Rules
NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora NB, News Briefings, June 2025 Vishal Arora

What Students, Professionals Need to Do When AI Changes the Rules

A recently released AI Index 2025 by Stanford University presents evidence that many AI systems now perform better than average human scores in several professional tasks. These systems are already influencing how decisions are made and how work gets done. Students and professionals, therefore, need to understand what this developing situation demands and how to respond to stay effective and relevant.

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Is Nepal Criminalising Dissent in the Name of Digital Regulation?

Is Nepal Criminalising Dissent in the Name of Digital Regulation?

A bill tabled earlier this year in Nepal’s National Assembly to regulate social media platforms remains pending—thankfully so, as it follows a growing trend across South Asia where governments use legislation to enable surveillance, criminalise criticism and consolidate power. What’s needed is for Nepal’s lawmakers to either annul the bill or amend it substantially. In its current form, its vague language and punitive clauses pose a direct threat to democratic freedoms.

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