Dear Reader,

Recently, the Supreme Court overturned an Allahabad High Court order that had weakened rape charges in a case under the POCSO law (which protects children from sexual abuse). The High Court had reduced the charge from “attempt to commit rape” to merely showing “intent,” but the Supreme Court restored the more serious charge. The apex court ordered that judges must adhere to established legal standards when determining charges, rather than relying on personal moral opinions or instinct. By restoring the original charges, the Supreme Court made it clear that courts should not conduct mini-trials at the early stage or decide cases based on subjective assumptions about what seems plausible.

Notably, Supreme Court Observer points out that the Court initiated a process to draft national guidelines for sexual offence trials, recognising that the problem is systemic, not episodic. It tasked the National Judicial Academy with preparing recommendations on sensitivity, courtroom conduct, accessibility, and judicial reasoning, with potential integration into training and administrative practice. This institutional move frames sexual offence adjudication as a cultural and procedural challenge, where flawed language and assumptions can become contagious, undermining justice across the system.

In the forested landscapes of Jharkhand, lac cultivation is reshaping the economic destiny of tribal communities. For generations, Adivasi families have harvested lac—a natural resin produced by insects on host trees such as kusum, palash, and ber—through traditional forest knowledge. Today, reports मैं भी भारत, that heritage is being strengthened by scientific training, better pruning and pest management practices, and structured government support. As a result, productivity has risen sharply, with yields increasing from nearly five kilograms per tree to as much as 15–20 kilograms, significantly improving household incomes.

Recognising its transformative potential, the state has accorded lac cultivation the status of agriculture, enabling farmers to access formal schemes, institutional backing, processing infrastructure, and organised procurement through federations and producer organisations. Women have emerged as central participants in cultivation and post-harvest work, reinforcing both economic stability and community resilience. In Jharkhand, lac is no longer merely a forest produce—it stands as a symbol of dignity, self-reliance, and the powerful convergence of tradition and modern rural development.

The sacred hot springs of Rajgir in Bihar—venerated for centuries by Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains—are facing a slow, silent disappearance. These geothermal kunds (hotwater springs), long believed to possess healing and purifying properties, have anchored Rajgir’s religious life and tourism economy. But today their flows are weakening, raising alarm among locals, scientists, and administrators, reports मैं मीडिया.

Climate change, falling rainfall, deforestation, rampant construction, and intensive groundwater extraction through borewells have destabilised the delicate aquifer system feeding the springs. Scientific studies show rainfall directly governs groundwater recharge and spring discharge, yet groundwater levels have fallen by around two metres in a decade. Persistent rainfall deficits and rising urban water demand are accelerating the decline. Past crackdowns on illegal borewells briefly revived flows, highlighting human responsibility. Authorities now promise expert assessments and revival plans, but the warning is stark — without urgent groundwater recharge and ecological safeguards, Rajgir’s ancient thermal springs — symbols of faith, heritage, and nature — may soon vanish.

In Khamdodgi, a village in Kanker in Chhattisgarh's Uttar Bastar region, the Forest Rights Act — patchily implemented across the country — has become a powerful catalyst for change. The local community gained forest rights, which has bolstered livelihoods through ecotourism, stemming the outward flow of migration. Nestled in the heart of a forested region, along the banks of the backwaters of a dam, Khamdodgi’s people secured 913 hectares of forest land under the Forest Rights Act and the Panchayats (Extension of Scheduled Areas) Act in 2020.

At first, using these rights for more typical avenues of income generation—such as harvesting forest products and reviving groundwater levels through farm ponds, the people of Khamdodgi have turned to an additional source of income — ecotourism. The Migration Story travels to the village, where thousands of tourists have flocked since some viral influencer videos last year broadcast their experience of bamboo rafts, kayaks, and other water sports activities in the pristine surroundings of the lake. Every household in the village shares in the benefits of regular employment, with monthly incomes soaring—and, as migration decreases, savings are being set aside for aspirational futures. Residents are abuzz with plans to sustainably leverage the serenity of Khamdodgi, making the village one of the exceptions that proves just how life-altering the Forest Rights Act can be made to be.

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

Warmly,

Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF