Local SpiritCompanies are Rebranding Indigenous Liquors Like Mahua Into Desi Cocktails. Who Stands To Gain? A growing urban market for these national beverages spells trouble for local producers and their communities. By Shinjini Dey
Surveillance StateNew Govt Rules Require Tech Companies to Reveal Users Who Post ‘Unlawful, Inflammatory’ Content
Surveillance StateNew Govt Rules Require Tech Companies to Reveal Users Who Post ‘Unlawful, Inflammatory’ Content New IT rules also require OTT platforms to remove objectionable content within 36 hours once flagged by government authorities. By Satviki Sanjay
Justice DelayedActivist Nodeep Kaur Granted Bail, Will be Released From Jail Soon The Dalit labor rights activist has been in custody since January 12 and alleges she was beaten “black and blue” by police officers. By Saumya Kalia
Parched FieldsWith Groundwater Supplies Exhausted, India’s Winter Crop Growth May Drop by 20%: Study Increasing surface irrigation won't fully offset the lost groundwater and would leave farmers more vulnerable to the vagaries of climate change. By Devrupa Rakshit
Scam CentralIllegal Amazon Rainforest Plots Are Being Offered For Sale on Facebook Marketplace Land grabbers are running a behind-the-scenes scam to rob indigenous people of their livelihood. By Rajvi Desai
brain fogWhat It’s Like To Live With: Hypothyroidism "Initially, the doctors attributed most of the symptoms to depression." By Devrupa Rakshit
Aflockalypse NowMass Bird Deaths Are Increasing in Frequency and Magnitude. Why? Causes range from disease to toxicity to climate change -- but all boil down to human activity. By Liesl Goecker
Indian 'Values'Marriage a ‘Solemn Institution Between a Biological Man and a Biological Woman,’ Centre Says in Affidavit Opposing Same‑Sex Marriage Petitions "Western decisions sans any basis in Indian Constitutional Law Jurisprudence cannot be imported in the Indian context," the Centre said. By Rajvi Desai
Work crisisILO Report Shows Indians Are the Most Overworked Globally, and Among the Worst Paid in Asia India's minimum wages are also the lowest in the world. By Saumya Kalia
The Infodemic FightNHS Doctor Shuts Down Gwyneth Paltrow’s Long Covid Healing Practices, Such as Herbal Cocktails, Infrared Sauna “All influencers who use social media have a duty of responsibility and a duty of care around that.” By Rajvi Desai
Changing TimesAmid Growing Acceptance, More Americans Are Identifying as Queer, Poll Finds “Younger people are growing up in an environment where being gay, lesbian or bisexual is not as taboo as it was in the past.” By Liesl Goecker
Chalk Dust Is Injurious To HealthDelhi Schools’ Air Extremely Polluted Due to Constant Use of Chalk and Duster, Poor Ventilation: Study Researchers found concentration of pollutants in school premises were 12-15 times higher than the WHO’s permissible standards. By Devrupa Rakshit
Equality Please?World Trade Organization’s First Female Head Experiences Racist, Sexist Media Coverage One Swiss newspaper headline read, “This grandmother will become the boss of the WTO.” It was later changed. By Devrupa Rakshit
Heirarchy of Self-PreservationElite Housing Complexes Are Increasingly Policing, Segregating Domestic Workers Amid the Pandemic By Aishwarya Chandran
Embracing Their DifferencesPyaar Aur Parivartan — Two Interfaith Love Stories From Bundelkhand Khabar Lahariya reports on how interfaith love is thriving in times of increasing intolerance. By Khabar Lahariya
Limited OptionsIndian Tigers Are Inbreeding as Habitat Loss Restricts Their Ability to Find Mates, Research Finds
Hollow VictoriesPriya Ramani, Disha Ravi Court Orders Beg the Question: Are We Being Conditioned to Settle for Less?
Limited OptionsIndian Tigers Are Inbreeding as Habitat Loss Restricts Their Ability to Find Mates, Research Finds "Whether this inbreeding compromises their fitness, their ability to survive, we do not yet know." By Satviki Sanjay
No KiddingWomen‑Led Governments Are More Likely to Deliver on Campaign Promises: Multi‑Country Study "Women may in fact be more effective at this process than men, even when faced with the same institutional challenges." By Liesl Goecker
Hollow VictoriesPriya Ramani, Disha Ravi Court Orders Beg the Question: Are We Being Conditioned to Settle for Less? A slew of recent court orders hollows the idea of victory. By Rajvi Desai
Educate To PreventDelhi Govt Directs Schools to Sensitize Students, Parents About Cyberbullying The move is expected to bolster "safe learning during lockdown" as cases of cyberbullying have increased during the pandemic. By Devrupa Rakshit
No More QuackeryMH Bans Sale of Patanjali’s Coronil Until It Is Certified by WHO, IMA, or Similar Health Authority The move comes a day after the Indian Medical Association expressed outrage over Patanjali's "blatant lie of WHO certification." By Aditi Murti
The Long Good-byeIn India, Dementia Care Is Draining Families’ Resources, Stamina Low awareness, the stigma of 'being mad,' inadequate medical care, and no social safety net are combining to set up an impending dementia crisis. By Tarini Mehta
Fresh Findings16 Freshwater Fish Species Went Extinct in Last Year, Signaling ‘Catastrophic’ Decline The steep fall in populations of freshwater fish not only impacts the environment, but millions of humans who depend on such fish to survive. By Devrupa Rakshit
Restrictive RulesGerman Beach Volleyball Players Opt Out of Qatar Event Over Bikini Ban “We are there to do our job, but are being prevented from wearing our work clothes.” By Rajvi Desai
Not So Black And WhiteAI Can Mistake Chess Lingo for Hate Speech. Is This Why a Chess YouTube Channel Was Banned? A new study shows that chess discussions of "black," "white," "attack," and "threat" can trigger red flags from hate speech algorithms. By Liesl Goecker
PupidemicCanine Stomach Flu Has Killed 250 Dogs in West Bengal, Sickened More Parvovirus is affecting both street dogs and pets who have not been properly vaccinated. By Satviki Sanjay
Filtering ContentIndian Advertising Council Drafts Rules For Influencer Marketing on Social Media “The biggest part of the new rules is to tell consumers that you are watching an ad and not content." By Devrupa Rakshit
Nothing To Fear YetRussia Flags World’s First Cases of H5N8 Bird Flu Transmission to Humans The seven poultry farmworkers are not seriously ill. By Aditi Murti
In Plain Sight Whenever the abuser senses they are “losing control, the abuse also heightens to regain that control.” Read More
Directing Intimacy "You need to make sure you’re establishing boundaries, not violating people’s privacy or personal space.” Read More
Taking The WheelApps Like Uber, Ola Make Driving a Flexible Profession. Why Can’t More Women Tap Into It? In theory, these apps provide a unique opportunity for women, but everything from safety concerns to inaccessible incentives stand in their way. By Devina Srivastava
Monthly NightmareAll You Need to Know About Extreme PMS Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a more severe form of PMS marked by extreme mood swings that can disrupt daily life. By Devrupa Rakshit
The World Is BurningWildfires Are Spreading to Parts of the Globe Where They’ve Never Occurred Before Wildfires used to be unique and integral to grasslands; now, because of climate change, they're decimating forests. By Liesl Goecker
SmokescreenCulture Ministry Defends Twitter Tribute to Hindutva Ideologue Who Justified Caste, Supported Hitler The ministry responded to the online furor over its tweet by saying it did not believe in “silencing any ideologies or voices.” By Aditi Murti
Positive InterpretationMaternity Leave Applies to Contractual Employees Too, Rules Karnataka HC The Maternity Benefits Act does not delineate rights based on how a worker is classified, the court noted. By Devrupa Rakshit
Censoring HistoryKarnataka Govt Scraps Textbook Chapter After Brahmin Board Says it ‘Hurts Religious Sentiments’ The sections described how Jainism and Buddhism flourished in the Vedic period because of the inaccessibility of Brahmin rituals. By Satviki Sanjay
A Tough ConversationPass It On: Tell Your Manager About A Mental Health Issue Before It Starts Affecting Your Work "The thing to absolutely not do is to wait until it's too late or until the situation spirals out of control." By The Swaddle Team
Hoping For A ReunionWoe Is Me! “My Sibling Rivalry Is Destroying My Family. How Do I Cope?” A series in which The Swaddle team indulges your pity party with advice you'll probably ignore. By The Swaddle Team
Rights For InmatesTell Me More: Talking Prison Reform and Alternative Forms of Justice With Saumya Dadoo "We cannot have a conversation about abolition without talking about annihilating caste, or ending the patriarchy." By Aditi Murti
Cultural Appropriation?The Buzz Cut: Who Gets to Wear Ganesha Jewellery? Rihanna Dares Indians to Answer Plus, why Greta Thunberg is really not out to attack India's tea. By Rajvi Desai
Too Little Too LateDelhi Has Ordered Construction of Separate Toilets for Trans People Gendered bathrooms haven't always been the safest places for trans people, but a separate facility may not be the answer. By Liesl Goecker
Muddied WatersNearly All of the World’s Rivers Have Been Ravaged by Human Activities: Study Climate change, dams, irrigation, overfishing, and pollution have decimated rivers' biodiversity and ecology. By Satviki Sanjay