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Explained Archive

Every Explained article we’ve published, in one place. Filter by category to revisit in-depth breakdowns of the policies, events, and ideas behind the headlines.

AI in the Courtroom: Promise, Peril, and the Future of Indian Justice

Following Supreme Court interventions against AI-'hallucinated' judgments, an analysis of how Artificial Intelligence is being integrated into the Indian judicial system, the risks involved, and the rules being framed to govern its use.

Science & Technology

The Process as Punishment: Why India's Undertrial Crisis Threatens the Right to a Fair Trial

Prolonged pre-trial detention, especially under stringent laws like the UAPA, has sparked a critical debate in the Supreme Court on whether indefinite incarceration without conviction violates the fundamental right to liberty.

Polity

Regulating the Algorithm: India's Approach to AI Governance Amidst Global Debates

As global powers frame rules for Artificial Intelligence, India is charting its own course, balancing innovation with accountability. A look at the challenges, the government's strategy, and the road ahead.

Science & Technology

The Mandsaur Model: A Blueprint for Scaling Up India's HPV Vaccination Drive?

A district in Madhya Pradesh reports 100% coverage in its HPV vaccination drive by using data analytics and behavioural science. We explain the model, its significance for India’s national cervical cancer campaign, and the challenges in replicating it.

Health

The Fading Voice: Examining the Erosion of the Gram Sabha's Constitutional Powers

A new report highlights how centralisation, financial constraints, and implementation gaps are undermining the constitutional mandate of India's village assemblies.

Polity

India's Coal Paradox: The Strategic Push for Coal Chemistry Amid a Green Transition

As India accelerates its renewable energy goals, a parallel policy drive for coal gasification aims to bolster energy security and reduce import dependence.

Economy

De-hyphenation and Delicate Balances: Explaining India's Evolving West Asia Policy

As a reconfigured West Asia tests New Delhi’s strategic calculus, a look at the origins, successes, and current strains on India’s policy of engaging rival powers independently.

International Relations

Sovereign AI: Charting India's Path to Technological Self-Reliance

As global powers treat Artificial Intelligence as a strategic asset, India confronts a critical choice: how to leverage global AI for growth without compromising its long-term economic and geopolitical autonomy.

Science & Technology

The Unseen Frontline: Heat Stress, Climate Change and the Sanitation Worker

As heatwaves intensify, India’s sanitation workers face a growing occupational crisis. A look at the health impacts, the policy gaps, and the urgent need to integrate climate resilience with labour rights.

Social Issues

Reforms 3.0: Charting India's Path to an AI-Powered Economy

As India targets sustained high growth, a new policy push aims to replicate the success of its digital public infrastructure in the age of Artificial Intelligence by making AI compute and 'tokens' abundant and accessible. Here’s what the proposal entails, the challenges it faces, and the risks involved.

Economy