Dear Reader,

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, is designed to offer prompt civil remedies and protection to women subjected to spousal assault. Courts have used warrants to ensure the attendance of parties, especially when urgent protection is sought. However, in January 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that issuing warrants in such proceedings is unjustified, stating that these cases are quasi-criminal and lack penal consequences unless a protection order is violated. Additionally, in May, the Apex Court allowed High Courts to quash domestic violence complaints in some instances, akin to case dismissals under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) or Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023.

The Court’s motivation was driven by its concern that warrants sometimes amounted to “the process as punishment” and penalised individuals before conviction. However, these back-to-back rulings, argues Article 14, introduce ambiguity about the use of criminal procedure in domestic violence cases, weakening enforcement and consistency. The rulings risk undermining the law’s protective intent and may disincentivise women from seeking legal recourse against domestic violence.

The NH66 highway expansion in Kerala, especially in the Malabar region, has raised serious environmental concerns. The project threatens paddy fields, wetlands, mangroves, and fragile ecosystems crucial for water management and biodiversity. In Keezhattur, protests erupted over land acquisitions, even as a recent collapse near Malappuram, linked to construction on reclaimed wetlands, has raised safety concerns. Critics argue that the projects lack proper and rigorous environmental impact assessments.

Keraleeyam Masika investigates violations across Kannur and Kasaragod, where breaches were most reported. The report features testimonies from affected residents, the work of activists using RTIs to expose transgressions, and cautionary calls from geologists warning of biodiversity loss and ecological disruption. It also critiques the poor quality of government-conducted environmental audits.

Tamil Nadu has more than 1,500 spinning mills and accounts for 46 per cent of India’s spinning capacity. Dindigul, in the southwest of the state, is one of the main hubs, with the labour force largely composed of thousands of migrants from the eastern states of Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. Integral to the ‘fast fashion’ supply chain, these spinning mills are characterised by extreme heat and the harshest of working conditions.

With temperatures and humidity soaring during these torrid summers, The Migration Story reports, the workers suffer headaches, skin rashes, and fatigue due to extreme heat stress. For women workers, the situation is made worse by rampant urinary tract infections and menstrual health complications. While many mitigation measures have been mooted—increased ventilation, hydration, access to health services, etc.—most are yet to be implemented.

Ground Report tells the tale of how waste segregation workers at Bhopal's Idgah Hills, working from a tin-roofed shed, sorted waste into sixteen categories, including seven for plastics. This improved both waste quality and provided workers with dignified working conditions and sustainable wages, enabling them to educate their children and secure a better future. While Bhopal still has a long way to go, the MRFs are showing the way.

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

Warmly,

Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF