9782 research outputs found
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Trust in the Platform City: Negotiating respectability and information asymmetry on Taxi Platforms in Delhi
No full textThis article illustrates how Delhi’s ground-up alternatives to digital taxi platforms, which I call “platforms of trust,” privilege the trustworthiness of middle-class passengers over taxi drivers in a city with deep social inequalities. Based on fieldwork with taxi drivers and passengers in Delhi, I highlight two ethnographic narratives that suggest why, despite unmaking dominant platform narratives, platform alternatives remain emplaced in classed and gendered devaluation of gig workers. First, alternative platforms complicate the boundary work of taxi drivers vis-à-vis Delhi’s 'notorious' autorickshaw culture. Second, alternative taxi platforms do not address how trust cultures in Delhi are enmeshed in asymmetries of information and power between drivers and passengers. I argue that platforms of trust remain abstracted from the power dynamics of trust formation and reinforce the technological optimism that threats from the urban underclass must be countered through digital platforms
Burial Rights and Religious Freedom in India A Constitutional Analysis of Ramesh Baghel v. State of Chhattisgarh
Get PDFThrough the ruling lately delivered by the Supreme Court in Ramesh Baghel v. State of Chhattisgarh, a rather gloomy picture has been painted of India’s unfinished territory of secularism, especially regarding religious freedom. Burial rights, an aspect of constitutional equality and fundamental human necessity, were at stake in Ramesh Baghel. What ensued, however, was to be a saga of religious exclusion, bureaucratic obstinacy, and judicial restraint
Torn Between Territorialism and Tradition A Case for Recognition of Rights of Tamil Transboundary Fishing Communities
Get PDFEvery year, dozens of Tamil fishermen are detained while casting their nets in waters where they have fished for generations. These waters now straddle the contested maritime boundary between India and Sri Lanka. On 29th June 2025, Sri Lankan authorities arrested eight Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu for allegedly surpassing territorial limitations. Earlier, in March, eleven Indian-Tamil fishermen were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of poaching in the Palk Bay area. Unfortunately, such transgressions are not isolated instances in Palk Bay. Fishermen from both India and Sri Lanka are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other’s waters. The hostility is substantially aggravated due to the scarcity of catch in the Palk Bay area for Tamil fishermen on both sides, and thus, such instances of trespassing are met with violent takedowns and arrests. These incidents are not merely border disputes; they are demonstrative symptomatic of a deeper issue affecting transboundary communities whose lives are rooted in shared cultural and livelihood practices across national borderlines
Developing supply chain resilience to counter transboundary crisis: a proposed three-level framework
No full textThere is limited published literature on ‘supply chain resilience’ (SCR) that deals with abnormal and relatively less frequent events called ‘transboundary crisis (TC)’. These disruptive events stretch beyond boundaries and require collaborative efforts at multiple levels to minimise their impact. This research conducts a systematic literature review on TC and its effect on supply chains, particularly COVID-19. Accordingly, a global national organisational (GNO) framework is proposed to counter TC threats to global supply chains. Lastly, a ‘Q-Framework’ to assess organisational-level resilience is presented, providing supply chain practitioners with 48 questions. The Q-Framework offers a ready reckoner for practitioners and researchers to evaluate and plan to build SCR. This work can be extended by adding more strategies to the GNO framework to make it more robust
A De Facto Union Veto : How the Indian Supreme Court Consolidated Federal Power Against the States
No full textOn November 20, 2025, the Indian Supreme Court issued an advisory opinion on substantial questions concerning the nature and extent of gubernatorial power over state legislation. Although the Constitution clearly demarcates legislative powers between the Union and the states, state laws take effect only after receiving the Governor’s assent, an office nominated by the Union government.
Given this design, conflicts between Governors and state governments are almost inevitable, especially when different parties control the Union and the states. A recurring flashpoint is the Governor’s role once a bill is passed by the state legislature. Articles 200 and 201 authorize the Governor to assent to a bill, withhold assent, or reserve it for the President. Yet these provisions leave three critical questions unresolved: (1) Can the Governor withhold assent indefinitely and effectively paralyse state lawmaking? (2) Is there a time limit within which action must be taken? (3) What remedies exist if the Governor does nothing within a reasonable period?
These issues had recently arisen in a case decided in May 2025. Disagreeing with that ruling, the Court in the November advisory opinion held that the Governor’s powers under Articles 200 and 201 are discretionary and that courts cannot impose timelines for decision-making. In what follows, we analyse this advisory opinion and argue that it poses serious risks to India’s federal structure by enabling a de facto Union veto over state legislation. We also highlight the possible political motivations underlying the opinion and the troubling use of the advisory jurisdiction to unsettle a precedent
Green, but at What Cost?: Ecological and Social Realities of Renewable Energy
No full textThe ecological and social challenges associated with renewable energy technologies necessitate a critical reassessment of the green transition. Addressing these issues requires stronger policy interventions, ethical supply chain practices, and sustainable material management. A more just and equitable approach to green technology development must incorporate interdisciplinary solutions that balance economic interests with ecological and social well-being.This chapter critically examines the environmental damage and social injustices embedded in the supply chains of rare earth minerals and other critical materials essential for green technology. The analysis extends to trade disputes and waste accumulation, arguing that the current market-driven approach to renewable energy exacerbates global inequalities. The chapter concludes by exploring circular economy models and regulatory frameworks that could mitigate these negative consequences
Rethinking digital humanitarianism in Rohingya refugee camps
No full textThis article focuses on Rohingya digital publics or users’ everyday use of digital platforms in Bangladesh’s refugee camps. The growing ubiquity of digital technologies and new data-centric possibilities redefined the practices and politics of humanitarianism in recent years. Vast amounts of data, generated from dispersed populations, altered humanitarian efforts in refugee settlements. Digital social media platforms and advanced technological innovation such as biometric smart cards and drones, widely used across refugee settlements by humanitarian actors, evoke rights-based critiques and foregrounds the security-versus-data safety dilemma. Marginalised, exiled refugee groups are positioned as data subjects in such critiques. Focusing on Rohingya digital content creators in Bangladesh-based camps, this article questions how exiled refugee digital users’ everyday use of platforms and negotiations with data-driven technologies relate to digital humanitarian efforts. The concept of digital homeland, as proposed in this article, calls for the reimagination of digital humanitarianism and data justice through digital affective practices. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
A Comparative Analysis of NIRF Performance Scores Among the Oldest Five IIMs in India
No full textIn this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of the NIRF performance scores of the five oldest Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) in India. The five IIMs were selected and data was collected over the past five years (2017-2021). The results show that all five IIMs have consistently performed well in the NIRF rankings, with IIM Ahmedabad consistently topping the rankings in the management category. The study also highlights the strong correlation between various NIRF parameters and their impact on overall NIRF performance scores. In conclusion, valuable insights into the performance of the five oldest IIMs in India, as assessed by the NIRF. Our findings demonstrate that these institutions continue to maintain high standards of quality in terms of teaching, research, and industry engagement. The results can be useful for institutions and stakeholders in higher education to better understand the NIRF ranking methodology and to develop strategies for improvement
Smart manufacturing and Industry 5.0: Challenges and future prospects
No full textIndustry 5.0 represents a paradigm in manufacturing because it has become human-centric in the utilization of the integration of advanced technologies, sustainability, and personalization. This chapter will examine some of the key aspects behind Industry 5.0, exploring how collaborative robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and data-driven decision-making improve operational efficiency and the role of customization/personalization in production and the related commitment to sustainability through circular economy practices. Then, this chapter focuses on challenges and barriers to the implementation of Industry 5.0 and addresses the necessity of considering cybersecurity to protect smart manufacturing systems. Future trends, such as augmented reality, are discussed in demonstrating how ethical AI may be a pivotal focus of innovation and enhanced workforce engagement. Finally, the new forms of innovation and great reshaping of the manufacturing landscape indicate future opportunities and challenges associated with it
Social audit as a pathway for reasonable accommodation: A review on access to the built environment for persons with disabilities in the wake of the RPwD Act 2016 in India
No full textPersons with Disabilities (PwD) globally face significant challenges in accessing the Built Environment, severely impacting their quality of life. In India, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act 2016 seeks to address these concerns by mandating accessibility across public and private buildings. Accessibility is a cornerstone of inclusion, and a driver of sustainability and economic development. Internationally, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is the first major international human rights instrument to include a dedicated provision on accessibility and recognise its importance as a precondition of human rights. While the Right to Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities on the international level has been the subject of numerous scholarly writings, considerably less attention has been given to the right in the context of the Indian legal framework. In this context, this paper examines social audit as a mechanism for ensuring reasonable accommodation and evaluating built environment accessibility in accordance with the RPwD Act 2016. By analysing relevant frameworks, the authors aim to suggest measures to transition India’s PwD movement from a philanthropy-centric model to a rights-based approach, ultimately aligning it with broader sustainable development goals. For this shift to materialise, the concept of auditing must evolve. Traditionally, audits have focused on verifying compliance with specific codes. However, under the principle of reasonable accommodation, audits can adopt a more inclusive approach, identifying diverse pathways to enhance accessibility for individuals with varying disabilities. This reimagined audit process not only ensures compliance but also fosters a more equitable and accessible built environment, promoting the rights and economic participation of PwD. The paper underscores the transformative potential of Social Audits in advancing accessibility, inclusion, and sustainable development in India