Faced with a multiplicity of values, mainstream conservation has tended to retreat to biocentrism, pragmatism or scientism. It would be more tenable to embrace a broad-based and democratic environmentalism, writes Sharachchandra Lele.

The Delhi High Court's ruling in Ajay Maken offers hope to residents of informal settlements by protecting their right to housing and enhancing their role in decision-making about urban space, writes Mathew Idiculla.

Apex court rules that both public and private sector are obliged to make 'reasonable accommodation' to facilitate the full participation of disabled persons in society. In doing so, the judges overturned an earlier decision of the SC itself.

A study of road safety across four states clearly shows that social hierarchies and realities largely determine accident outcomes. The severity of their impact  is disproportionately borne by the poor, and as a result it puts them at a further disadvantage, writes Piyush Tewari.

Heat waves have not received as much attention as other climate risks, but more cities now confront their toll. They are looking to nature itself for answers. But new mechanisms for governance and financing will also be needed.

Thirty five kilometers of mass transit are about to be added to Mumbai Metro in the coming months. Applying an economic development lens would help in the planning of areas around these upcoming lines.

Data governance in India is evolving. Against that background, what are the potential benefits and risks of the proposal by the Election Commission to link voter IDs to Aadhaar numbers? An IDFC Institute working paper examines this.

Food system outcomes in cities are central to jobs growth and economic vibrance, to resilience, security, greenness, and livability. A new book by the World Bank urges cities of all sizes to develop and implement food policies aligned with their aspirations and challenges.

There is rising interest in public policy, but much of the focus so far has been on 'policy'. But it is even more important to understand the 'public' part of this phrase, because public policy must work for and with the public, writes Harsh Shrivastava.

The energy-mobility landscape is transitioning to renewables and electric vehicles. But public finances are highly reliant on the old economy of fossil fuels. Vignesh Nandakumar summarises a recent discussion of the challenges this poses.

We cannot build a city for athletic young people and motor vehicles alone. Affirmative action for non-motorised transport is needed to set a clear course for an inclusive and practical imagination of our cities, writes Sathya Sankaran.

High Courts in India face case-loads that keep growing, and their responsibilities to oversee the functioning of lower courts are also significant. The reforms proposed to fix this have themselves been pending for long, notes the Foundation for Democratic Reforms.

During the lockdown, electricity regulators have been effective in instituting online facilities to conduct hearings remotely. Such virtual processes, with some further steps, could improve public participation in normal times too, writes Manabika Mandal.

The new science and technology policy joins its predecessors in presenting a wish-list for the country, but equally it also mimics the old policies in failing to detail how these wishes will come true, notes Shambhavi Naik.

The distribution of LPG to rural households is far from satisfactory. An analysis of the reasons by the Prayas Energy Group finds that a comprehensive review of the performance and accountability of different institutions in the supply chain is needed, along with an independent regulator.

The social responsibility of companies is a lot more than a CSR program, which in any event is now mandated by law. It is also more than a mere Human Resources tool for employers to improve relations with employees, writes Harsh Shrivastava.

Despite their significant contribution to agriculture in India, women are not given their due recognition as farmers. There are some key steps that can be taken to correct this, writes Hema Swaminathan.

NFHS data on nutrition and gender parity show worsening trends in recent years, making it increasingly evident that unless the norms that underpin discrimination are addressed, the risk of regressing can never be overcome. Biraj Swain reports. 

The large metropolitan areas of the country are continuing to grow. But why, and is this the same thing as sprawl? A recent position paper from the IDFC Institute delves into the data, and discusses the challenges thrown up by India's urban expansion. India Together presents excerpts from this paper.