
In battle against coronavirus, China continues to sideline its most valuable ally: The Chinese people
Hospitals in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province have been making urgent pleas to the Chinese people for three weeks as the new coronavirus ripples through the country: Send more protective gear

CAA protests: What the government must learn from India's mass movements against citizenship reforms
As India confronts the largest protest movements seen since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office, it's important to understand the lessons of the past decades

Civic laws are flagrantly flouted in India when it comes to religious celebrations of all hues; what explains this?
Civic laws are no match for the thymotic urge — the urge for recognition — behind such celebrations, because it is the urge that powers Indian democracy and society.

'More of us will speak every day': Cultural community deplores FIR against 49 celebs who wrote to Modi condemning 'lynchings'
Over 180 members of the cultural community, including actor Naseeruddin Shah, cinematographer Anand Pradhan, historian Romila Thapar and activist Harsh Mander among others, condemned the FIR lodged against 49 celebrities for an open letter they wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Indian NGOs bridge chasm between middle class, poor and are crucial to the health of democracy
Some of the brightest Indian minds are attracted to this line of work

Communities in China and South Asia fight for greater say over river management, but will officials listen?
By forming cross border networks, civil society groups in China and South Asia hope to exert greater influence over government decisions, but will officials listen?

Enforcement Directorate raids Amnesty International's India office in Bengaluru over alleged FEMA violations
After coming to power in 2014, the Narendra Modi government had launched clampdown against NGOs, which the opposition had termed as an attempt to stifle the voices of civil society groups.

Peace talks between Nicaragua govt, civil society groups hindered after armed assailants kill eight people in Managua
Armed assailants in Nicaragua's capital set fire to a house and started a gunfire at a street barricade, leaving eight people dead and thus hindering the peace talks between the government and civil society groups

DCW chief Swati Maliwal must act, not fast: Delhi's depleting de-addiction centres put women at risk, fuel drug abuse
Swati Maliwal also wants a high-level committee comprising the Union home minister, Delhi’s chief minister, Delhi’s Lt Governor and police commissioner and head of the Delhi Commission for Women to be set up to discuss crimes against women and that these meetings be broadcast publicly.

Kerala Police under scanner after Dalit boy's autopsy report suggests suicide was abetted by custodial torture
The Kerala Police find itself in a tight spot but what makes it more precarious is that majority of the victims are young Dalits.

RTI Act: Govt proposes stopping proceedings if applicant dies; proposal comes under severe criticism
The NDA government has proposed a new set of rules for processing Right to Information (RTI) applications, complaints and appeals and has sought suggestions from the public by April 15.

SC order to audit 30 lakh NGOs is another way for State to target and delegitimise their purpose
The Supreme Court, on 11 January, passed an order directing the government to audit about 30 lakh non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and voluntary organisations that receive public funds, but have invariably failed to explain their spending.

Kailash Satyarthi writes for Firstpost: From India a strong voice for children will rise
Be it the mines, fields, brick kilns, or carpet looms, the condition of children working in them is inhuman and a concerted global effort is needed to protect their childhood, writes Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi in Firstpost.

For transparent Brics, India must push for greater engagement with civil society
However, in the interests of a fair and transparent BRICS, it is better to engage with civil society. And India, with its strong democratic traditions and a robust civil society can play a strong role in ensuring this.

Free and independent media key to China's development, says Ban Ki-moon
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told China's leaders on Thursday that a flourishing civil society and free media are key to China's development

Protesting 'meagre' pension, senior citizens return a day's pension to PM Modi
A symbolic protest against the "meagre pension" given to underprivileged senior citizens.

Ghar Vapsi: Civil society needs to challenge RSS's conversion agenda
As the RSS goes ahead with its communal agenda by raising issues like love jihad and ghar vapsi, civil society needs to acknowledge these problems and fight this hateful agenda.

IB report on foreign-funded NGOs raises fears of curbs on dissent
The IB report has elicited angry reactions from NGOs, who have have slammed it as an attempt to “muzzle and silence civil society who raise their voices against injustices to people and the environment by asking uncomfortable questions.

Hate speech laws not being effectively executed: SC Judge
The root of the problem in tackling the menace of hate speech is not absence of laws but lack of their effective execution, Supreme Court Judge Justice B S Chauhan said today.

LS polls: Here's civil society's womanifesto for political parties
“The time has come to demand not just the highest levels of integrity in public life and effective governance, but also to abide by the constitutional and policy pledges made to half the population, women who are waging personal and political battles everyday,” write the spokespersons for the Womanifesto.