PROTECT YOUTH FROM CYBERSEX CRIMES

Battling loneliness and lacking awareness, India’s youth are sharing much more than what is good for them online and becoming the unwitting victims of crimes ranging from sex tortion to doxing and more. The prevailing laws, unfortunately, are inadequate

"TBBT HAS PUT YOUTH AT THE CENTRE OF THE DISCOURSE 99

Mohammed Asif is Executive Director and Dr Komal Goswami is Chief of Party at Plan International (India Chapter). While Asif leads the organisation’s initiatives in welfare and development for children and equality for girls and women in India, Goswami leads the purposedriven initiatives of Reckitt executed through PLAN India. In an interview with Naina Gautam, they talk about The Birds and Bees Talk (TBBT) initiative, the opportunities, the achievements and the challenges so far. Excerpts:

A RIGHT IN THE MAKING

Though the Supreme Court disappointed the LGBTQIA+ community on the issue of civil union, it hopes that the recent announcements by the Indian National Congress, CPI(M) and BJP will pave the way for a legislative solution to its rights

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ARE THE FUTURE OF WORK

Other than equipping the youth with social and technical skills needed to navigate highly disruptive workplaces, organisations and governments would need to foster a culture of lifelong learning and eliminate gender and other discriminations to secure their future

TIME WE SAID 'YES' TO 'NO'

The widespread misconception about consent in India, robbing women of their bodily autonomy, distorting relationships and reinforcing gender biases, is a clarion call for the country to promote consent curriculum beginning with schools

SMART INVESTMENTS IN YOUTH LEAD TO RICH DIVIDENDS IN ADULTHOOD

India is driving change by strengthening comprehensive primary health services to provide preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care services to communities close to where they live

" SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SHOULD NOT CARRY A STIGMA "

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India was established in 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993, amended in 2006.

FROM BADASS TO BINDAAS IN 30 YEARS, BUT MILES TO GO

The LGBTQIA+ movement has witnessed a tumultuous journey marked by several highs and a few gut-wrenching lows that have delivered a better, if not perfect, world for the community

MARRYING CULTURE AND CREATIVITY TO FUEL YOUTH DREAMS

Bharatiya culture empowers India's youth through creativity and cultural expression, providing them with the nurturing environment and the tools they need to lead the world and help India achieve its aspirations

HOW LGBTQIA+ STARS ROCK ON SOCIAL MEDIA

India's LGBTQIA+ community has created its own set of influencers. They are popular not just within the community but have become stars surpassing social boundaries. Some of them have featured in media campaigns launched by brands, while others have been recognised as authors, actors and advisors. Let us meet top LGBTQIA+ icons and learn how they influence people

A Lyrical Journey

Understanding the subconscious connection between music and life in Kashmir

Raw and Real

Music by Kashmiri artists captures people’s lived experiences and daily realities

Beneath the Anger

The savvy and silent electric buses of Nouveau Kashmir

When Two Men Came Knocking

The memory of the two army personnel knocking on my door on a Saturday afternoon in 2009 and what happened after that is still too fresh

Old Sorrows, Old Terrors

Perhaps someday the clouds will lift, the moon poured from the flagon, ripened by the sun clenched firmly in the wine bearer's hand

The Weight of Words

A single word or an inadvertant disclosure can have serious consequences in Kashmir

An Illusory Peace

Even a thousand tongues cannot unravel the quiet that has become a part of life in the Valley

Manufactured Silences

The stance of the Union government towards J&K is becoming progressively more regressive and despotic

Emotional Cost of 'Peace'

Senior PDP leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, who contested from Srinagar, says the prevailing silence in Kashmir is New Delhi’s definition of peace. In reality, this silence is stifling Kashmiris

Surveillance and Survival

The enforced silence in Kashmir echoes themes from George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984

Talking of Russia-Ukraine

Divert the conversation to faraway places, quote Urdu poetry—tactics to avoid talking about issues confronting Kashmir

Watershed Moments

Dates that shaped Kashmir’s collective memory

A Long Dream of Home

In the 1990s, many Kashmiri pandits had no choice but to leave their homes behind. This is one such story of displacement

Memoricide

Dignity and dissent are under constant attack as Kashmiris wake up each day to learn new ways in which their memory and resistance do not matter

A Silent Season in Kashmir

In the campaign rallies in Kashmir, political candidates from different regional parties spoke about breaking the silence. They said the abrogation of Article 370 took away their dignity. Now is the time to speak up, they said. People turned out in record numbers to cast their votes in the Valley. What does that mean? Is it acceptance or is it the act of breaking the silence? What is this silence?

Guards at the Gateway

Though the BJP has increased its presence in Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, significant hurdles remain in its way

A New 'Boom' in Kashmir

The increase in visitors reflects not just a recovery but also provides jobs in the hospitality sector

Lotus in the Backwaters

For the first time, the BJP wins a seat in Kerala. Importantly, its vote share has increased from 13 per cent in 2019 to 16 per cent in the state

The Death of Dynasties

The defeat of two prominent dynasts and Engineer Rashid's win mark a major shift in Kashmir's politics

The Coalition Dharma

The BJP’s track record of dealing with allies, both at the Centre and at the state level, has so far been tricky