India’s Multilateral Game: Navigating BRICS Without Alienating the West
India seeks and supports an inclusive, sustainable and multipolar world, with effective, efficient and reformed multilateral institutions.
Category Centres
Substance Abuse in India: A Critical Review of the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (2018–2025)
The National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR), launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, is India's main policy instrument to fight rising drug abuse and illicit drug trade. Drafted as an integrated and comprehensive strategy, NAPDDR is intended to be aligned with international targets and objectives under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely SDG 3.5, which deals with prevention and treatment of abuse of substances, and SDG 16.4, which deals with the eradication of organized crime, including drug crime.
Land, Legacy, and Learning: Tribal Communities in a Changing Environment
Kartik In the shadow of the world’s accelerating climate crisis, tribal communities -often the most environmentally conscious and historically sustainable societies- are finding their ways of life increasingly under threat. This blog offers a glimpse into my ongoing research on…
New tax concessions: From saving to consumption
TK Arun The government announced income tax concessions amounting to a total of ₹1 trillion to stimulate demand in the economy. The savings on tax outgo will take time to accumulate into a meaningful chunk of additional purchasing power in…
Ministry of Panchayati Raj: Strengthening Grassroots Democracy Since 2004
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj was established in 2004 under the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961, to monitor all matters related to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and District Planning Committees. The Panchayati Raj plays a crucial role in strengthening India's democratic framework by encouraging political participation at the grassroots level. Currently, there are approximately 2.6 lakh Panchayats across the country, which have 31.5 lakh elected representatives, with almost 46% being women. The system also encourages the inclusion of marginalised communities such as Scheduled Tribes (STs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Other Backwards Classes (OBCs) through provisions for reservation mentioned in the constitutional provision. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment mentioned that Panchayats were recognised as the third tier of governance, reinforcing the country’s commitment to decentralised and participatory democracy.
ULLAS Nav Bharat Literacy Program, 2022
Particularly in the age group of 15 years and above, 25.76 Crore people are non-literate out of which- approximately 65% are females and 35% are male. To address this education gap, the government launched the ULLAS Nav Bharat Literacy Program in 2022.
GI Cloud MeghRaj (2014): National Cloud Initiative to build India’s Digital Infrastructure
India's e-governance efforts and digital empowerment require significant technological advancement and innovation. The introduction of the GI Cloud Initiative, Meghraj, was one significant move made by the Indian government. In order to increase the administrative effectiveness of public service delivery, promote openness and transparency at all governmental levels, and speed up access to e-services