Maria Casadei

While Assam, led by the BJP, has passed a bill banning the practice but not applying it in tribal areas, Kerala has taken a different approach. A landmark ruling by the local High Court has ruled that no second marriage can be registered without informing the first wife, reaffirming the primacy of constitutional rights over religious law.

In India's federal capital – which has topped the list of the world's most polluted cities for over ten years – the first silver iodide rockets have been launched with the aim of causing artificial rain. The Centre for Atmospheric Sciences is sceptical, calling it an ‘improper application of science’ for political propaganda purposes.

The Indian government wants to introduce strict rules on content generated by artificial intelligence, such as deepfakes. The measure aims to combat abuse and disinformation, but raises serious concerns about privacy and freedom of expression. Critics and legal experts warn that the obligation to label and track content could turn into a tool for digital surveillance.

Signed by President Mohamed Muizzu, the law has shaken the Maldives, raising fears of censorship. Journalists and the country’s opposition call it a direct attack on press freedom, while the government sees it as needed reform and transparency. The legislation comes at a delicate time for the Maldives’s young democracy, already plagued by political tensions.

The northern Indian state has arbitrarily denied land rights granted under the Forest Rights Act of 2006. The legal process has reached a stalemate, but the case of the village of Kajaria has reignited the debate over the slow implementation of the regulations and the broken promises to indigenous peoples, for whom forests are not only a source of subsistence but also the basis of their identity.

The Canadian government has listed the powerful India-based criminal network as a terrorist group. The decision follows a long trail of shootings and extortions against members of the Sikh diaspora, and comes as Ottawa attempts to restore cooperation with New Delhi following tensions over the murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canadian authorities accuse the gang of acting as a tool of intimidation, with connections to Indian intelligence, a charge New Delhi vehemently denies.

The Bodoland People's Front won 28 out of 40 seats, strengthening its presence compared to 2020 and thus returning to the leadership of the Bodo Territorial Council. The BJP, which has enjoyed a series of successes in the north-eastern state since 2016, won only five seats. The defeat calls into question the party's hegemony a few months ahead of the 2026 legislative elections.

A memorandum from the Union Ministry of the Environment has exempted mining projects from public consultations, reigniting tensions in a state that holds 16 per cent of the country’s uranium reserves. For decades, the Khasi Students' Union has led the movement against mining, speaking out against the risks to human health and to the environment. Local communities are calling for a permanent moratorium, while the Union government intends to pursue its nuclear plans.

Following the approval of the anti-conversion bill in Rajasthan and the Maharashtra Public Security Bill, protests have broken out in India. In Rajasthan, the law even affects voluntary conversions and interfaith marriages, while in Maharashtra, the executive will be able to declare entire organisations ‘illegal’ without concrete evidence. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has asked the states for clarification on the constitutionality of these laws.

Sparked by the government blocking social media, protests forced the prime minister to resign. Youth mobilisation reflects the profound disillusionment with a political system that has betrayed the hopes born from the birth of democracy. Economic difficulties are pushing many to emigrate. Protests calling for the return of the monarchy as an alternative to political corruption had already taken place in April.

Demonstrations broke out yesterday in the Nepalese capital following the blocking of social media, which has now been lifted. However, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli has resigned. The death toll stands at 19, with hundreds injured. Before the internet ban, news reports had circulated accusing local politicians of corruption and nepotism. Young people under 30 who took to the streets also expressed their frustration at the lack of economic opportunities.

The pilgrimage (yatra) begins today to the Amarnath Temple in the Himalaya. After the attack in Pahalgam in April that cost the lives of 25 tourists, the Indian government has put in place unprecedented security measures, with paramilitary units, drones, digital mapping, and armoured vehicles. The aim is to boost tourism amid persistent tensions with Pakistan.