Category Governance and Law

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GST Appellate Tribunal 2025: Resolving India’s Tax Disputes

The introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2017 has brought the various central and state level indirect taxes under one unified indirect tax framework. However, the proliferation of the GST regime has also led to growing tax related disputes. Such disputes lead to ambiguity for the taxpayer, as well as cause additional burden on tax administration. Hence, a specialised appellate body was required for the successful implementation of GST

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Politics, Representation and Women: A Pie in the Sky?

In the 18th Lok Sabha Elections, the overall female voters’ turnout was 65.78 percent, just .02 percent short of the overall male voters’ turnout, which amounted to 65.80 percent, marking the active participation of women in undertaking the democratic process of choosing our leaders. And in many states, women voters outperformed in comparison to the male counterpart reflecting their intent in performing their political duty. (Election Commission of India, 2026). Yet, in that same election, out of 543 Members of Parliament who were elected, only 74 women candidates were voted to power, amounting to only 14 percent. (Association for Democratic Reforms, 2026, p.24), a dip from 14.4 percent in the previous Lok Sabha elections. (PRS, May 2019).

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National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG): Strengthening Data-Driven Judicial Governance under e-Courts Phase III

The timely delivery of justice is central to the rule of law and effective governance. However, Indian courts have faced persistent challenges of case pendency, delays in disposal and limited access to consolidated judicial information. To address these gaps through technology, the Government introduced the e-Courts Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan. The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) emerged during Phase II (2015–2023) as a central repository of information on cases in District, Subordinate and High Courts, providing data on institution, disposal and pendency through an online platform.

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Regional Proxy Competition and the Constraints of Global Governance in Sudan

The African Continent has been marred by civil wars for a long time but none as severe as the ones in Sudan that since its independence in 1956 has witnessed 20 military coup attempts. However, the most recent civil war that started in 2023 and has continued till present is also one of the worst humanitarian crises ever faced by Sudan with over 13.6 million people currently displaced, 20 million people in need of health assistance and estimated 21 million people facing food insecurity.

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DISHA 2.0 (Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice) 

India's commitment to justice is woven into the very fabric of its constitutional identity. The preamble to the Constitution of India embodies this vision by resolving to secure to all its citizens Justice – social, economic and political, affirming that an equitable justice delivery system is indispensable to the constitutional vision. This commitment is further reflected in Article 14. Moreover, judicial interpretation has also strengthened access to justice under Article 21. In Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar (1979), the Supreme Court held that the right to a speedy trial is an essential ingredient of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 recognising that effective legal representation is indispensable for meaningful access to justice. Further Article 22(1) of the constitution requires that any person who is detained be given the right to “consult and to be defended by a legal practitioner of their choice”. To embed access to justice within the State's policy framework, the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 inserted Article 39A into the Directive Principles of State Policy, directing the State to ensure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunity and to provide free legal aid so that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities.

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Strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) – BRICS Justice Ministers’ Meeting (JMM), Gandhinagar, May 2026

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) has become an integral component of modern justice systems by providing accessible, efficient, and cost-effective mechanisms for resolving disputes outside conventional court proceedings.

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11th Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, New Delhi, May 2026

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), comprising Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, has emerged as a prominent minilateral platform for promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.

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