Caste, Privatization, and Environmental Degradation: Reassessing India’s Swachh Bharat Mission
The Swachh Bharat Mission tried to create a narrative that sanitation is everyone’s job. Instead, it has ended up continuing the same old caste practices.
Tikender Singh Panwar
Former Deputy Mayor of Shimla and Visiting Senior Fellow at IMPRI
Planet vs Plastic: Earth Day’s Urgent Call for Action
The theme for World Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, was “Planet versus plastic.” It was estimated that over a billion people across the globe would participate in the events to demonstrate their commitment to protecting our planet.
A Tale of Two Centuries: Himachal Pradesh’s Development Journey and Future Imperatives
For centuries, the region now known as Himachal Pradesh, nestled in the Himalayas, and its people were subjects of diverse princely states, ethnographic migrations, and colonial rule under the British.
Taking Urgent Steps: Waste Management Strategies for our Towns
Two clocks are ticking at an unprecedented pace, and both, if not addressed and managed promptly, will prove to be extremely perilous.
Cityscapes in Flux: The Evolving Dynamics of Urbanization
The old understanding that a city is considered to be the centre of enlightenment, workplace, and habitat is being challenged,
Vivid Metropolis Chronicles: Unveiling the 2024 Budget’s Political Narrative in Himalayan Regions
In 2015, the Government of India launched its Smart Cities Mission, envisioned as the lighthouse of city development. With a total of 100 cities included in its proposal, this flagship programme received budgetary support and continued to dominate urban planning discussions.