policy / civil-service analysis
Par parti pris · 1 takes across the edition
Insights on India · India · India's top court calls sand-mining cartels 'modern dacoits' as river deaths mount
Analyses causes and river-ecosystem impacts of illegal sand mining and the governance gaps that enable it, arguing that bans alone fail without technology-backed enforcement and political will, and citing 2026 deaths as evidence of the enforcement vacuum.
“The loss of 18 lives in 2026 is a grim reminder that bans alone cannot stop illegal mining without rigorous enforcement and political will.”