India
The Second Shift
India’s push to digitize public health care has quietly shifted a heavy, unpaid workload onto its women community health workers, who are technically volunteers. Juggling multiple apps, poor connectivity, surveillance tools and inadequate training, these women spend long hours on their phones — often at great personal, financial and social cost.
How the War in Iran Reached South Asia’s Kitchens
New Delhi restaurateur Anuj Wadhwa and economist Mihir Sharma join Kwangu Liwewe Agyei on Global Insights to discuss how the Iran war is driving up fuel prices and squeezing households across South Asia.
How the Tiger Became an Indian National Symbol
In India, while tigers symbolized courage for Rajput kingdoms, Mughal emperors like Akbar and Jahangir saw a slain tiger as proof of dominance over nature. The British emulated Mughal tiger hunts to assert imperial control — a symbolism now reversed by the country’s conservationists.
Oil Spills Are Pushing Indian Fishers to the Brink
The small southern town of Ennore is a stark example of how repeated oil spills are destroying fishing livelihoods in India. The leaks have contaminated rivers, slashed incomes and harmed fishers’ health. With meager compensation and collapsing fish stocks, many families are reconsidering their ancestral profession.
The Shrinking Freedom of Indian Cinema
Honey Trehan’s “Panjab ’95,” a film on Sikh activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, has been stuck in censorship limbo for three years as India’s film board demands cuts. The case reveals the unprecedented pressure felt by Indian filmmakers as the Modi government cracks down on cinema.
The Indian Fishers Trafficked Into Illegal Operations in Oman
A New Lines investigation has found that, in 2023, over 70 fishers from Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India, were lured to Oman with promises of higher pay. They were then trafficked into illegal fishing on Belize-flagged vessels using Palau-issued seafarer documents, revealing gaps in maritime governance.
Inside India’s Greenwashing Eco Parks
The Indian government has been promoting eco parks built on the sites of old coal mines as part of its plans for a just transition away from fossil fuels. Yet behind the superficial imagery and rhetoric, local communities continue to endure toxic air and water, while the parks offer little direct benefit.