PolicyDhara

https://youtu.be/QEwmd4nLGJc?si=Tt912sSsse-5zzDM Almaas Masood and Swati Thapa are independent journalists reporting from India's coastlines and hill states on labour, gender, migration, and the environment. Their work comes with a cost that rarely gets talked about, one that most newsrooms in India aren’t set up for: financial precarity, field risk, online harassment, and little to no institutional support. Watch this video where they talk about the toll that reporting takes on their mental hea

The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 (MHCA), which came into force in 2018, marked a significant shift in India's approach to mental healthcare. The MHCA seeks to protect the rights of persons with mental illness by recognising their autonomy, legal capacity, and right to access mental healthcare and treatment without discrimination.  The importance of this legislation can be understood amidst the long history of abuse, stigma, discrimination, and coercion experienced by people with mental healt

Global leaders praised India's hosting of the 18th BRICS Summit and the unanimous adoption of the New Delhi Declaration 2026. The declaration addressed global trade concerns, health cooperation and the priorities of the Global South.

Professional journeys in the social sector begin with a laundry list of WhatsApp group invitations. Here’s what that looks like, from the perspective of someone who routinely wakes up to 25+ group notifications every morning. While access to a majority of these groups is granted instantly, there is always one unofficial group without the project head where you must earn inclusion by demonstrating the ability to crack cryptic e-mails, provide emotional support, and share unofficial updates.

Biocon has secured a 10-year supply contract for Pertuzumab in Brazil, gaining access to the country’s public healthcare market through a partnership with Bahiafarma and Bionovis.

Mr. Piyush Goyal called for India to become a global medical and healthcare destination, citing FTA access worth US$ 60 trillion in combined GDP.

**Kanishk Goyal and Ayushi Kumari  “Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” – Louis D. Brandeis Brandeis’s observation matters most when State power itself becomes the subject of public scrutiny. In September 2025, the Supreme […] The post The Constitutional Paradox of Why the State Can Surveil but the Citizen Cannot Record appeared fi

1 2 3 4 5

Mr. Piyush Goyal called for resilient, globally integrated healthcare supply chains and greater R&D investment at Bharat Health Global Expo 2026.

Health researchers argue that factors such as where we are, who we are with, and how we feel play a crucial role in our experience of pain, which therefore has a direct impact on our well-being. While clinical medicine often ignores these factors, palliative care recognises that pain perception is directly connected to the psychological and social conditions of a person. As a specialised care model, it brings together doctors, psychologists, nurses, physiotherapists, allied health professionals,

Across Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj (Allahabad) district, there are eight food packaging and processing plants responsible for meeting the nutritional needs of pregnant women, lactating mothers, and young children.  These plants are part of the Take Home Ration (THR) programme, which is an extension of the Integrated Child Development Services scheme (ICDS) (subsumed under Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 in 2021). Launched in 1975, the ICDS has since evolved into one of the largest community-

India and Brazil are targeting US$ 30 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, while advancing cooperation in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, critical minerals, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing.

Healthcare accounted for 13% of India's private credit deal value in H1 2026, with domestic funds contributing 74% of total deal value as private credit activity remained resilient across refinancing, acquisition financing and growth capital.

India and Argentina advanced cooperation across lithium, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, digital technologies and trade facilitation, with bilateral trade crossing US$ 6.50 billion in 2025.

India and Morocco have agreed to double bilateral trade over the next five years and set up a Joint Working Group to explore a preferential trade agreement. The two countries also signed agreements on food safety and cultural exchange, while identifying fertilisers, automotive, pharmaceuticals and agriculture as key areas for deeper cooperation.

Nearly 50 years after the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978, primary healthcare remains one of the core tenets of global health. Governments endorse it; international organisations advocate for it; and researchers routinely point to it as the foundation of equitable health systems.  Despite this broad consensus, surprisingly little agreement exists about what primary healthcare constitutes in practice. For some, it refers to a package of services delivered through clinics and health centres clos

India’s economy is sustained by a vast, informal migrant workforce that circulates between villages and expanding urban and industrial clusters. This migrant workforce contributes to 10% of India’s GDP, working in the construction sector, manufacturing industries, domestic work, the hospitality sector, and street vending. Their numbers range between a 2018 estimate of 63 million ‘vulnerable circular migrant workers’ in urban areas, to a 2020 estimate of 250 million circular migrant workers, not

When it comes to technology for advancements in health, India has often displayed ambition and expertise. Over the last few years, a variety of health-tech solutions have been piloted, including a portable DNA testing device that identifies infections and drug resistance, an AI assistant in delivery rooms, and algorithm-based detection of tuberculosis in chest X-rays. These are more than ideas developed in urban innovation hubs; they have been deployed or adopted in real world settings.  De

India-Cambodia bilateral trade grew over 36% to US$ 406.78 million in FY 2025-26 as both countries discussed deeper cooperation in trade, investment, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, digital payments and customs.

Feature picture courtesy: Shagil Kannur via Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY

Department of Pharmaceuticals Secretary Mr. Manoj Joshi urged the medical device industry to strengthen its participation in regulatory discussions and called for a distinct framework focused on design, manufacturing and testing.

Goa is strengthening year-round tourism by expanding wellness, heritage, MICE, adventure and experience-led offerings, while improving international connectivity to attract visitors beyond the traditional beach season.

India’s pharma exports grew 6.8% in Q1 FY27, supported by drug formulations and biologicals, while strong growth in vaccines and bulk drugs and expanding demand across global markets strengthened the sector’s export performance.

India-Namibia bilateral merchandise trade reached US$ 593 million in FY2025-26, with both countries expanding cooperation across investment, critical minerals, healthcare, services and clean energy.

When we think of death with dignity, its meaning can vary across cultures, socioeconomic circumstances, and even by the degree of illness or injury. However, what is certain is that almost everyone wishes to spend their last days at home, or somewhere that feels like home—with their loved ones, without pain, and at peace—as opposed to being alone in a busy hospital ICU, attached to machines, with no agency over what's happening.   The concept of dignified dying was framed against this very