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Beyond Headlines: The war of West Asia from youth's lens
Article
Features

Beyond Headlines: The war of West Asia from youth's lens

Has the popularity of social media hastened war news reporting or sensationalism? Does the youth of today find themselves torn between deciphering real news and misniformation? This article aims to look beyond the surface and uncover the answers to these questions and more.

about 1 week ago

Certified Out of Existence: Why India's 2026 Trans Amendment Bill faced severe backlash
Article
Features

Certified Out of Existence: Why India's 2026 Trans Amendment Bill faced severe backlash

On March 13, 2026, India's government introduced the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, which swiftly passed both houses by March 25 and became law despite widespread protests from trans activists, lawyers, and opposition parties. The bill scraps self-identification for gender—upheld in the 2014 NALSA Supreme Court judgment—replacing it with mandatory medical certification by a board and District Magistrate approval, while limiting recognition to hijra, kinner, and intersex groups, effectively sidelining trans men, women, and non-binary individuals. It also imposes severe penalties, including life imprisonment, for "coercing" others into transgender identity, which critics fear could criminalize family and allies. Activists like Krishanu, Raghavi, Aryan Pasha, and Kanmani slammed it as unconstitutional (breaching Articles 14, 15, 19, 21), arbitrary, and reminiscent of colonial-era laws like the Criminal Tribes Act, with protests erupting in cities from Delhi to Hyderabad. Amid global anti-trans backsliding (e.g., TGEU's 2025 index, US and UK developments), figures like Aakar Patel of Amnesty International India decried it as state overreach on inherent identity. Affecting ~487,803 trans persons (only ~32,500 with ID cards), the law unravels hard-won rights, framing the fight as one for the state's recognition of self-naming over official control.

about 1 week ago

Student Content Gallery

Explore the diverse range of content our students are creating

Meet Our Top Editors

Exceptional student journalists leading the future of media at Bennett University

Yashovardhan Azad
Editor

Yashovardhan Azad

Yashovardhan Azad is a former IPS officer

Abhik Choudhury
Editor

Abhik Choudhury

Chief strategist and founder of Salt and Paper Consulting

Salma Ahmed Farooqui
Journalist

Salma Ahmed Farooqui

 

Abhilash Purushothaman, Regional Vice President (Asia), Cisco AppDynamics
Editor

Abhilash Purushothaman, Regional Vice President (Asia), Cisco AppDynamics