Centre moots inter-State redistribution of Lok Sabha seats based on 2011 Census

States that have stabilised their populations could see their share of representation in Parliament shrinking if proposals in the drafts of a Constitution Amendment Bill and a Delimitation Bill circulated by the Centre become law. 

Mapping the legislative vacuum in India's heat crisis

The phenomenon of extreme heat in India has undergone a profound geographic and demographic shift, transitioning from a seasonal hardship to a systemic national crisis. Once confined largely to the arid northwest and central plains, heatwaves now regularly penetrate humid coastal corridors and traditionally temperate regions. The last two years recorded unprecedented temperatures, with over 57% of Indian districts now classified as heat-prone. 

What are the legal consequences of piracy?

• It is incredibly challenging for a leaked movie to be completely wiped from the Internet

• Section 63 and Section 63A of the Copyright Act, 1957, provide for fines of up to 2 lakh and three years of imprisonment for infringement of intellectual property

• The Cinematograph Act, 1952, since its amendment in 2023, provides for a much larger fine: 5% of the audited gross budget of a film

• In the Jana Nayagan case, the leak coming before its theatrical release has dented both its theatrical value and home video rights valuation. 

Balancing faith and ecology: are rivers taking the brunt?

Though culturally viewed as pure, environmental studies show dairy effluents can have biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels far exceeding domestic sewage, leading to rapid depletion of dissolved oxygen and ecological stress in aquatic environments.

It is observed by experts that ritual offerings further accelerate microbial activity, adding to cumulative pollution loads. This reduces dissolved oxygen, suffocating aquatic life, while nutrient enrichment can trigger algal blooms, further degrading water quality and disrupting biodiversity. 

Subhas Chandra Bose: the paradox of a revolutionary's theory and praxis

Bose's legacy is a synthesis of contradictions: a mystic who embraced science, a democrat who did not shy away from authoritarianism, a patriot who looked toward unified humanity; his egalitarian ideal remains a powerful counter-narrative to fissiparous tendencies in an independent India.

Constitution Amendment Bill moots possible change in size of State Assemblies

The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposes significant changes to the size and composition of the Assemblies by restarting the process of delimitation and removing the long-standing constitutional freeze, in effect since 1976, on readjustment of seats based on population.

Modi, Trump discuss need to keep Strait of Hormuz secure

Against the backdrop of continued tension in the Gulf region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump and discussed the need for keeping the Strait of Hormuz "open and secure". The telephone call from Mr. Trump came three days after the U.S. and Iran held a round of discussion in Islamabad to resolve the crisis that started with the U.S. bombing Iranian targets in Tehran on February 28. 

Deportation policy seeks tighter norms

The Union government has formulated a new deportation policy under which all States have been asked to set up a special task force in each district to "detect, identify and deport/send back illegal migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar", and provide a monthly status report on foreigners who are missing or overstaying their visas. 

Efforts under way for second set of U.S.-Iran talks as fragile truce holds

The standoff between the United States and Iran deepened on Tuesday as the U.S. declared it had blockaded Iran's ports, Tehran threatened to strike targets across the region, and Pakistan said it was racing to bring the sides together for more talks. 

Lebanon and Israel hold direct talks in decades

Israel Lebanon and opened their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington following more than a month of war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it a "historic opportunity". 

West Asia war threatens to push 2.5 mn into poverty: UNDP

The conflict and military escalation in West Asia threatens to push 2.5 million people in India into poverty and the country is projected to experience some loss in its human development progress, according to estimates and projections by the United Nations.-

New cell therapy shows promise to treat frailty among elderly

• Frailty affects up to one in four people over the age of 50 worldwide. In India, where the population aged 60 and over is projected to rise to nearly 20% by 2050, the condition is likely widespread but rarely diagnosed

• Researchers studying elderly individuals with frailty found that a single infusion of mesenchymal stem cells significantly improved their physical endurance

• The authors were careful to avoid overstating the findings, and have acknowledged that larger clinical trials and longer follow-up plans are required.