Stories
All data-driven investigations and analyses.
India-Russia: The Enduring Partnership Tested by War and Realignment
India's oldest strategic partnership is navigating the Ukraine war, a dramatic surge in oil imports, Western sanctions pressure, and Russia's deepening embrace of China — all while defence dependency keeps the relationship anchored.
India-UK Relations: Beyond Colonial History to a Modern Strategic Partnership
The India-UK relationship has reinvented itself through a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, FTA negotiations, and robust diaspora links — but difficult conversations on historical reparations, migration, and trade-offs persist.
India and Europe: A Strategic Partnership Searching for Substance
As the EU seeks to diversify away from China and India looks West for technology and investment, the India-EU strategic partnership is gaining momentum — but trade negotiations, carbon policy, and differing worldviews on Russia remain obstacles.
India-China: Two Asian Giants in an Era of Mistrust and Strategic Rivalry
From the Galwan Valley clash to a widening trade deficit and competition across the Indian Ocean, the India-China relationship has reached its most volatile point since the 1962 war.
India-Indonesia: How Maritime Neighbours Are Reshaping the Indo-Pacific
India and Indonesia share 2,000 years of civilisational links and are now deepening a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership focused on maritime security, trade, and countering Chinese influence in Southeast Asia.
India-US Relations: From Nuclear Deal to Critical Technology Partnership
The India-US strategic partnership has deepened across defence, technology, trade, and people-to-people ties over the past two decades, driven by shared concerns about China's rise and converging geopolitical interests.
Who Really Gets the EWS Quota? An Investigation into UPSC's 104 Selections
An investigation into all 104 candidates selected under the 10% EWS quota in Civil Services 2025 finds IIT graduates, private school alumni, and business family children — raising fundamental questions about targeting and due diligence.
E20 Backlash: India's Ethanol Push and the Consumer Revolt That Followed
India achieved 20% ethanol blending five years ahead of schedule, but motorists report mileage drops of up to 12%, the food-versus-fuel debate resurfaces, and a Supreme Court PIL challenges the rollout.
The Great Supply Chain Shift: Can India Capture the China+1 Opportunity?
As global companies diversify away from China, India has attracted $85 billion in FDI since 2023 — but infrastructure gaps and policy inconsistency threaten to squander the moment.
Anganwadi Centres: India's Frontline Nutrition Workers Are Burning Out
India's Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) runs 14 lakh anganwadi centres serving 10 crore beneficiaries, but frontline workers face wage delays, infrastructure gaps, and mounting workloads.
Digitizing PDS: How Technology Plugged the Leakage in India's Food Security Net
Aadhaar seeding and ePoS deployment have reduced leakage in India's Public Distribution System from 40% to under 10%, but coverage gaps persist.
India's Groundwater Crisis: 62% of Districts Sound the Alarm
Groundwater depletion threatens India's food and water security as 62% of districts face critical or over-exploited groundwater levels, driven primarily by agricultural irrigation.
Education Budget: Widening Gap Between Spending and Learning Outcomes
India's education budget has grown 40% in five years, but learning outcomes continue to decline — raising fundamental questions about expenditure efficiency.
India's ₹11 Lakh Crore Climate Finance Challenge
As India pursues its net zero 2070 target, a massive climate finance gap threatens to slow the renewable energy transition and adaptation efforts.
RBI Repo Rate: Decoding Monetary Policy in a Changing Economy
With the repo rate at 6.50% after 250 bps of cumulative hikes, India's monetary policy faces the challenge of balancing inflation control with growth support.
The Satluj Files: Censored, Released, Removed — The 48-Hour Life of India's Most Controversial Film
Diljit Dosanjh's biopic of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra survived 127 CBFC cuts, three title changes, and a pulled TIFF premiere — only to be taken down by ZEE5 within 48 hours of release. An investigation into India's censorship machinery and the story it tried to bury.
Digital Personal Data Protection: India's Privacy Law Comes of Age
From the landmark right to privacy judgment to the 2026 amendments, India's journey toward comprehensive data protection legislation has been long and contentious.
India's ₹1.2 Lakh Crore Semiconductor Push: Can the Dream Take Silicon?
India's expanded semiconductor PLI scheme promises to cover the full value chain, but the Vedanta-Foxconn JV collapse and a growing talent gap raise questions about execution readiness.
MGNREGA Completes 20 Years: A Data-Driven Assessment of Rural Employment
Two decades of India's flagship rural employment guarantee scheme — what the data reveals about wage trends, participation, and economic impact across states.
Digital Payments in Rural India: UPI's Unseen Revolution
How UPI transformed rural financial inclusion, with transaction volumes growing 400% in three years.
PM Fasal Bima Yojana: The Claims That Never Reached Farmers
Investigation into delayed and unpaid crop insurance claims across six states.