Dear Reader,

In the tribal-dominated districts of Ratlam and Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh, a substantial portion of the adult population migrates to cities in search of employment. When the monsoon arrives, they return to their villages to cultivate crops such as soybean, corn, and cotton—an activity that requires investment in seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides.

Even while Adivasi farmers manage to gather the necessary resources and begin farming, they remain heavily and critically dependent on rainfall. Any fluctuation in rainfall patterns, coupled with the quality of agricultural inputs (such as seeds and pesticides), can severely affect their fortunes, often forcing them to oscillate between subsistence-level incomes and crippling debt. मैं भी भारत reports that for these Adivasi farmers, who are largely from the Bhil community, access to the government’s Fasal Bima Yojana for crop insurance remains largely out of reach, deepening their vulnerability.

The powers and responsibilities of the Speaker in disqualification proceedings under the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution (the anti-defection law) have long been contentious. In most cases, Speakers—typically members of the ruling party—have tended to act in alignment with their political affiliations. On July 31, the Supreme Court of India, led by Chief Justice B R Gavai, addressed the issue in the context of the defection of ten MLAs in the Telangana Assembly.

The Court directed the Speaker to conclude the disqualification proceedings within three months, citing an inordinate delay of seven months during which even notices had not been issued to the defecting members. Importantly, it clarified that the Speaker does not enjoy Constitutional immunity in such cases. The Court also stressed that the broader question of whether the Speaker should continue to exercise such powers warrants reconsideration by Parliament, given repeated instances of partisan inaction. The Supreme Court Observer analyses the implications of the apex court’s ruling.

From April to June 2025, salaries of over 1.17 lakh Karnataka government employees—amounting to ₹834.89 crore—have not been disbursed. This was disclosed in a letter by the joint secretary of the state’s finance department, Ikram Pasha, to secretaries of various departments. The letter attributed the delay to a glitch in the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) software. However, The File reports that deeper systemic issues, including a possible fund shortage, could be at play. Key departments affected include education, health and revenue. Many employees, facing hardship, have made repeated visits to Treasury offices. The File’s attempts to meet and elicit a response from Mr. Pasha on the situation were unsuccessful.

Death in India is an event fraught with bureaucracy and paperwork when the state intercedes to formalise the demise of its citizens. For the families and friends of migrants who die far away from home, procedures become even more cumbersome. In Odisha, 400 workers are recorded to have died outside the state in the last nine years, of which 233 fatalities have occurred since 2022. The Migration Story talks to their relatives, to find a tragic story of indifference and endless red tape that mars their mourning.

Many of the migrants travel across the country, to other states—whether west to Gujarat or south to Kerala. In far-flung states, the cost of death soars. Sometimes, families have to shell out monies in lakhs to bring their bodies back home. With not everyone in a position to afford the costs, death for migrants can be a lonely last journey—with not one family member or a friend in attendance.

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

Warmly,

Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF