Ashlin Mathew is senior associate editor, Outlook. She is based in Delhi
From coastal towns to hill districts, long-held political certainties loosened as the UDF made decisive gains across local bodies, taking over Left strongholds and redrawing the region’s electoral map. The 2025 local body elections marked more than a routine verdict. They revealed a shift in mood
Parliament’s Winter Session ended on December 19 in a familiar haze of disruption and division, delivering a stack of new laws but little space for debate on issues beyond the House, most notably the air pollution crisis gripping the Capital.
By replacing MGNREGA’s legal job guarantee with a centrally controlled, budget-capped scheme, the new law has raised concerns over workers’ rights, federal balance and the future of rural livelihoods.
The Union Ministry of Culture has clarified in the Lok Sabha that no documents related to India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, are missing from the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML), and that the institution does not conduct annual audits of its archival holdings.
While the BJP framed the discussion as a necessary reckoning with history and the freedom movement’s legacy, the Opposition accused the government of diverting attention from urgent economic and social challenges.
In a charged Lok Sabha debate on electoral reforms, Congress leader K.C. Venugopal accused the BJP of weaponising institutions and enabling “vote chori”, calling it an “anti-national act”, prompting a fiery pushback from the Treasury benches
Today, Periyar’s legacy continues to influence Tamil Nadu’s social landscape, driving higher female enrollment in education, empowering first-generation learners, and shaping the voices of Dalit women leaders in movements for social justice. Understanding Periyar’s impact is essential for anyone exploring the intersections of caste, gender, and education in contemporary Tamil society.
From memes to podcasts, Periyar’s ideas on caste, gender, and equality are inspiring a new generation to question hierarchies and rethink justice.
The Delhi High Court has given Dr Reddy’s Laboratories permission to manufacture and export semaglutide, the popular diabetes and weight-loss drug, while maintaining a ban on domestic sales until Novo Nordisk’s patent expires in March 2026. The decision comes amid an ongoing legal battle over alleged patent infringement involving one of the world’s most sought-after GLP-1 medicines.
The proposed amendment had sparked widespread concern over the future governance of Chandigarh, the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana. Officials have clarified that there will be no changes to the city’s administrative structure, which currently functions as a Union Territory under the President’s oversight, with the Governor of Punjab acting as its Administrator.
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