Every year, over 450 million workers, many of them migrants, engaged in agriculture, construction, street vending, sanitation, and transport are exposed to dangerous heat levels. Now that India has notified heat as a disaster, its success must be measured by whether fewer workers are forced to choose between their health and wages.
The electronic National Pension System (eNPS) is the online platform of India’s National Pension System (NPS), developed to enable seamless digital registration, contribution, and account management. NPS itself was introduced by the Government of India initially only for Central Government employees (except armed forces) joining service on or after 1 January 2004, replacing the earlier defined-benefit pension system, and was extended to all citizens on a voluntary basis from May 2009. It is regulated by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) under the PFRDA Act, 2013 (effective 1 February 2014) (Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, n.d.; PFRDA, 2025).
Assam, situated in the North- East of India is the largest north eastern state both in terms of population as well as in terms of area
This is becoming normal in India: No accountability. From the pothole that killed a schoolgirl in UP and the tap water that poisoned infants in Indore to the exam paper leak for the third consecutive year, a new normal is emerging. And is there a chance of anyone being punished or these occurrences? The answer is: No.
The Border Area Development Programme (BADP) was launched in 1986-87 by the Government of India to address a structural gap in nation-building
Old-age pensions are one of the oldest tools of social protection anywhere. In India it sits at the crosshairs of elderly poverty relief and dignity. The Union government's main instrument is the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) which is run by the Ministry of Rural Development. It has operated since 1995 and today comprises five components - the largest is the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS). IGNOAPS was introduced in 2007 (NSAP, 1995). IGNOAPS offers Below Poverty Line citizens aged 60 and above a monthly pension of ₹200 and which further becomes ₹500 after the recipient turns 80 years old (NSAP, 1995).
Kerala is home to an estimated 25 to 35 lakh inter-state migrant workers, mainly from West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring Nepal (Sreedevi & Gopinath, 2024; Peoples Democracy, 2025). They are an important part of Kerala’s construction, manufacturing, agriculture and service sectors. The state officially refers to them as Athithi Thozhilali, or “guest workers,” reflecting its attempt to promote inclusion. However, migrant-rights researchers note that the term can also suggest that these workers are temporary outsiders who do not fully belong to Kerala (The News Minute, 2021).