India's family planning programme, one of the oldest in the world, has seen considerable evolution. Yet, national progress masks deep regional inequalities.
The Baltic Sea is about to be the center of the Russia-NATO rivalry in the coming years. As of March 2024, the Baltic Sea, with the exception of Russia, is entirely surrounded by NATO members. With NATO’s only purpose being to defend the West from the Russian threat, this is of grave concern to Russia.
The rural population in India currently stands at 909 million (almost 68.8% of the total population) and has shown a growth rate of about 11%. Large parts of rural areas in the country are parts of clusters of settlements, in relative proximity to one another. These clusters typically demonstrate growth potential, have certain economic drivers, and have the ability to leverage locational and competitive advantages
The Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW), launched under the Ministry of Women and Child Development as part of the ‘Mission Shakti’ scheme, represents a transformative approach to addressing the multi-dimensional needs of women in India. Developed under the Samarthya sub-scheme, HEW serves as a comprehensive, one-stop support system that facilitates inter-sectoral convergence across services, schemes, and programs meant for women. It aims to ensure that women can access information, benefits, and entitlements in a streamlined and efficient manner, thereby fostering their holistic empowerment and participation in society. It reflects the government’s larger commitment to ensuring inclusive growth and sustainable development, aligning with international goals like SDG 5: Gender Equality and national visions like Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Indian federalism’s real challenge is to design institutions in a way that would encourage participatory democracy in terms of self-rule plus shared rule.
Pakistan based terror groups have been executing the cross-border terrorism against India for nearly four decades as an instrument of Rawalpindi’s designs in particular and their foreign policy in general. World knows and fully understands the source and sustenance of the rabid terrorist groups that have proliferated in our western neighbourhood for decades with the alacrity of misplaced Jihad and the impunity extracted from global majors including its iron clad friends.
In the complex tapestry of South Asian geopolitics, few agreements have held as much symbolic and strategic weight as the Simla Agreement of 1972. Signed in the aftermath of the 1971 Indo-Pak war—an event that not only redrew the map of the subcontinent with the birth of Bangladesh but also reshaped regional power dynamics—the Simla Agreement was envisioned as a framework for peace, coexistence, and bilateral resolution of disputes. Over five decades later, its relevance is once again under scrutiny, as Pakistan signals a suspension of the accord amidst renewed tensions.