The sun had set, but the lights were still on in an old Lucknow mansion. Newspapers lay scattered across the table while television anchors shouted over one another in a noisy prime-time debate. Amid the chaos, 22-year-old Priya sat surrounded by her books. Then her phone buzzed.

For them, war was just a game. They came. The skies exploded with deadly fireworks. Bombs fell. Missiles flew. Drones swarmed. Thousands died. Homes were reduced to rubble. The air turned toxic. Temperatures rose. Oceans warmed. Forests burned and vanished.

The Right to Information law was once seen as the strongest weapon against corruption. People called it the eyes and ears of the public. The hope was that hidden truths in government files would come out and officers would become accountable. But today the picture looks different. In many places, RTI is no longer used for public good. Instead, it has become a tool for personal gain, blackmail and extortion. Some people have built a full business under the cover of this law...

Why should social service depend on foreign money? Those opposing the FCRA Bill need to answer this basic question first. Has India become so poor that every school, hospital, shelter or welfare project must look abroad for funding? Why cannot Indians support social causes through local donations, corporate contributions and our own resources? And why this sudden anxiety over tighter scrutiny of foreign funds...

It has now been twelve years since the Narendra Modi-led NDA government came to power promising strong, decisive leadership and a “new India”. Yet a closer look at how the country’s basic institutions actually function- elections, schools, courts, police, and hospitals- reveals a different picture. Many old problems remain unfixed; in some cases they have worsened. These are not minor technical issues. They shape the daily lives of millions of ordinary Indians.

India today presents a striking contrast. On one hand, the country is building expressways, metro networks, airports, and digital infrastructure at an unprecedented pace. On the other, large sections of society remain trapped in centuries-old prejudices and feudal attitudes.