Dear Reader,

As India undertakes a massive effort to bolster infrastructure, it has, in significant instances, bypassed legal and constitutional protections—often at the cost of marginalised communities, particularly the Adivasis. A recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed widespread violations of land acquisition laws in Odisha’s Scheduled Areas in the five years between 2017 and 2022.

The audit found that in at least 73 cases across four districts, land acquisition occurred without even convening the Gram Sabha, mandatory under the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996—a clear and blatant violation of land acquisition rules. Compensation delays affected 179 cases involving over three thousand acres, with more than ₹120 crore pending due to outdated land records and over thirteen thousand displaced families denied resettlement benefits amounting to over ₹700 crore. Article 14 reports that the CAG’s findings constitute a severe indictment of how the rights of Adivasis and other marginalised groups are routinely denied, and how constitutionally enshrined protections are brazenly trampled upon.

On May 12, 18-year-old Mumtaj Mir, a migrant worker from West Bengal, died after a hillock collapsed during widening work on NH-66 near Cheruvathur in Kasaragod. This incident comes amid a series of migrant worker deaths in Kerala, particularly in the construction sector. Civil society organisations working with migrants say that the very people who form the backbone of the state’s infrastructure push are often the subjects of discrimination.

Migrant workers are largely excluded from the state’s Awaas scheme, promoted as India’s ‘first’ free insurance programme for migrant ‘guest workers’. The scheme promises free medical treatment up to ₹15,000 and accidental death insurance up to ₹2 lakh. Keraleeyam Masika reports how these ‘guest workers’ in Kerala are routinely denied basic protections and dignity due to the absence of effective government oversight and a strong organisation to represent their voices.

Half of global snakebite deaths occur in India—one million cases annually, resulting in about 58,000 deaths. Snakebites alone cause more fatalities in India than all other human-wildlife conflicts combined. Despite this, public awareness of government health centres that stock antivenom remains low. Many victims turn to unqualified traditional healers, missing the critical one-hour window for administering antivenom—often with tragic consequences.

In Bundelkhand, a region of Madhya Pradesh where most snakebites are reported, Ground Report examines why people are reluctant to seek formal healthcare. Reasons range from a lack of awareness and trust in government infrastructure to a strong belief in unproven cures. Although a national plan to address venomous snakebites was launched in 2024, its associated toll-free helpline remains largely dysfunctional. The WHO has declared snakebite envenoming a ‘neglected’ tropical disease. The story argues that it is time for the government and the healthcare system to pay serious attention.

Last week, Justice B R Gavai became the first Buddhist to be appointed Chief Justice of India. Elevated to the apex court from the Bombay High Court in 2019, Chief Justice Gavai has a reputation for judicial restraint and adherence to constitutionality. The Supreme Court Observer profiles the Chief Justice, who has weighed in on significant cases—demonetisation, abrogation of Article 370, electoral bonds, and bulldozer demolitions, among others.

For more such stories from the grantees this week, please read on.

Warmly,

Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF