While India aspires to be a global leader in technology, economy, and diplomacy, the situation within its states tells a tale of neglect and decay. Crumbling public services, rising unemployment, and widening social inequities reflect a deeper governance crisis that cannot be ignored.
Ever since the ‘Trade Tariff Tale’ began with President Donald Trump’s orders, the economic and employment situation has been on a steep decline within the country. The major sectors to get affected with this heavy duty of 50% – gems & jewellery, textiles, automobile parts – have seen struggle to find new markets.
The rupee value against US Dollar may soon touch the 90-rupee mark, which is unprecedented and hard-hitting. The Union Ministry has been considering lowering the GST slabs, in order to safeguard Indian companies and ensure smooth continuity of businesses.
In addition, due to the advent of AI (Artificial Intelligence), several industries have taken the firing and layoff route, leaving several employees stranded and searching for jobs – a clear sign of domestic imbalance. 
If this situation wasn’t grim enough, some of the hard-hitting headlines that have been creating a problem scenario have been elaborated further, as PM Modi deals with the tariff situation on the global diaspora.
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Mumbai ‘paralyzed’ as Maratha Quota Stir Continues
The Maratha quota protest led by activist Manoj Jarange has entered its fifth day on September 2, triggering strong reactions from the Bombay High Court, which asked his supporters to vacate all streets in the city by noon. Describing the situation as grim, the court observed that all pre-agitation conditions had been violated and asked protesters to stay within the confines of the designated area for the stir.
Activist Manoj Jarange has been staging an indefinite hunger strike over his demand for a 10% reservation to the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Thousands of people from the community have arrived in Mumbai to support his stir.
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Monsoon Terror Continues across North India
As monsoon season continues to wreak havoc across North India, the India Meteorological Department has issued a heavy rainfall alert for Delhi-NCR region, including Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad. Meanwhile, a red alert in active for Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand for extremely heavy rainfall and flash floods.
Both hill states have been warned of more landslides and floods as the weather department predicts more rainfall. The state of Punjab has also witnessed floods in certain regions and remains on red alert. The Yamuna River’s water level in Delhi continues to rise after heavy rainfall in the national capital.
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Prolonged Tensions in North-Eastern Region
The north-eastern states of Mizoram and Manipur have been under a state of prolonged stress, internal conflict and political unrest due to ethnic differences – where clashes between the Kuki and Meitei communities have continued for over two years now. PM Narendra Modi is likely to visit these states in the coming days, making it his first official visit to the violence hit state of Manipur since May 2023.
Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 2025 after the resignation of chief minister N Biren Singh. Violence has left thousands displaced, with families struggling to rebuild homes, businesses, and lives amid an uncertain future.
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Bihar-SIR Row over ‘Vote Chori’ Continues
The two biggest national parties – BJP and Congress have been at loggerheads as NDA and INDIA Bloc respectively, ahead of the assembly elections due in the state of Bihar. The Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently concluded his ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in poll-bound state and launched a sharp attack on BJP leaders, accusing the party of ‘Vote Chori’ – and raising clear objections against the SIR. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was launched by the Election Commission of India in June 2025, to update Bihar’s electoral rolls, which had not seen a thorough revision in nearly two decades.
The goal was to account for demographic shifts and migration. Opposition parties (e.g., Congress, RJD) accused the ECI of tampering with the list of voters, particularly poor migrants, and raised concerns over mass exclusion.
Helene Elliott is the senior reporter for News Raise. She covers Science news. She also has a keen interest in photojournalism. Helene holds a nomination for the prestigious Red Smith Award. She is married to author Dennis D’Agostino, a former publicist with the New York Mets.
