Dear Reader,

Munsiyari, often called “Mini Kashmir”, is a serene and remote tehsil in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, located on India’s border with Tibet. It is also among the most landslide-prone regions in the Himalayas. Situated at about 2,200 metres above sea level, its ecologically fragile slopes—easily destabilised by rainfall, deforestation, or construction—cannot withstand large-scale concrete development, which experts have repeatedly warned could trigger severe disasters.

Despite these warnings, an “eco-tourism initiative” permitted the construction of illegal, permanent eco-huts in the Khaliya Reserved Forest without obtaining mandatory approvals from the central government or the relevant ministry. A 700-page investigation by the Chief Conservator of Forests (Working Plan) revealed ₹1.63 crore embezzlement by a forest department officer, and noted that 70% of the eco-hut revenue was diverted to the Munsyari Eco Vikas Samiti.

The MoU authorising this transfer was signed in August 2020, even before the society’s formal registration in September 2020, creating a parallel, unaccountable fund vulnerable to misuse. Irregularities also included awarding supply and construction contracts to a private firm without proper tendering or competent sanction. When the whistle-blower sought accountability, the government appeared more eager to question him than to investigate, even though it later issued a show-cause notice. The Probe reports on how the scam came to be and includes the version of the accused.

Last month, in mid-July, Gurugram, the vast upscale agglomeration adjoining Delhi, saw a police crackdown on alleged illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, detaining hundreds and demanding proof of citizenship. Fear spread quickly through migrant colonies, forcing many to flee or hide for fear of summary deportation, despite claiming proof of Indian citizenship.

The sudden flight of migrants, who constitute the vast pool of domestic and casual labour of Gurugram, led to the disruption of home and sanitation services, with uncollected garbage piling up. The crisis revealed both the dependency of cities on migrants and the precarious position of those who sustain India’s urban centres yet remain the most vulnerable to exclusion. The Migration Story speaks to both the migrants and the employees, who took to the streets to help the migrants assemble their documentation, as the migrants’ role in the city’s functioning became evident.

Human-tiger conflicts at the fringes of protected areas are an unfortunate feature of the conservation effort of the big cat in India. In some places, the friction is so acute that people have taken to the streets to force the forest department to intervene. This was borne by a recent incident, in June, near Madhya Pradesh's Pench Tiger Reserve, when over 100 villagers blocked National Highway 44 from Seoni to Nagpur, to demand compensation for the death of a teenage cattle herder, and the relocation of the offending feline.

While the Forest Department agreed to compensate the family of the herder for their loss, the core issues of the conflict have not been addressed. Ground Report goes to the affected village to understand why cattle herders, who are usually careful to confine themselves outside the bounds of the reserve, continue to be threatened. The answers, they find, lie in shrinking tiger habitats, the paucity of prey, the expanding human imprint, and the impact of climate change.

Chief Justice B R Gavai, the 52nd Chief Justice of India and the second Dalit to hold the nation’s highest judicial office, is serving a brief tenure of six months, having assumed office on May 14, 2025, and scheduled to retire on November 23, 2025. He inherited a Supreme Court burdened with nearly 82,000 pending cases and two judicial vacancies. Chief Justice Gavai has emphasised judicial equality, asserting that the office of the Chief Justice carries the same judicial authority as that of other judges. He has also advocated for clarity regarding the ‘Master of the Roster’ powers and for upholding judicial propriety and discipline. However, while he has spoken in favour of diversity across caste, class, and gender, the Collegium under his leadership has not yet appointed a woman judge. The Supreme Court Observer conducts a mid-term review of his tenure.

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

Warmly,

Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF