The Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975 was one of the worst times in Indian history when the government disregarded civil liberties, suppressed the press, made arrests on a massive scale and ruled by decree. During this 21 month period between June 25, 1975 and March 21, 1977 there was election suspension and mass repression. The article also discusses the history of the Emergency, the emergence of the JP Movement and the subsequent failure in the Indira Gandhi leadership in the 1977 elections. The Emergency still has an impact on the politics of India to date.

Context

• The Emergency of 1975 was a historical repressive mark against civil rights and political liberty during the reign of Indira Gandhi. 

• Though it was oppressive in action, it changed the political scenario in India which eventuated in the formation of the Janata Party in 1977.

Key Points

Historical Context

• In 1971 Indira Gandhi attained a huge mandate but had to deal with economic difficulties:

  • India- Pakistan War 1971

  • Severe droughts

  • Oil Crisis of 1973

• The increasing misgovernance and levels of corruption caused citizens to be upset.

• Jayaprakash Narayan had invoked the slogan of Total Revolution in JP Movement (JP).

• Large student protest:

  • Navnirman Movement (Gujarat)

  • Railroad strike by George Fernandes

Declaring of Emergency

• Date- June 25, 1975

• Proclaimed by – President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed on the advice of Indira Gandhi

• Provisions:

  • Arrest of civil liberties and Fundamental Rights

  • Press censorship

  • Arrests of opposition leaders in large numbers

  • Such controversial actions as forced sterilization (in the influence of Sanjay Gandhi)

Political Consequences

• Popular popular vindication

• Elections of 1977: Janata Party is created and overcomes Congress

• First non-Congress government in the Centre

• Signified a short pause on the leading role of the Congress in Indian politics

Judicial and Constitutional policies

• The 44 th constitutional Amendment (1978):

  • Altered emergency clause of saying internal disturbance to saying armed rebellion

  • Revived safeguard of Fundamental Rights

  • Provided new judicial review of proclamation of Emergency

Emergency legacy

• National awakening and emerging of new leaders: Lalu Prasad Yadav, George Fernandes, Arun Jaitley

• Reputational destruction to the Congress; Multi-party democracy sowed the seeds.

• The experience added to the overall decline of Congress, which has led to its loss in 2014.

Conclusion

The issue of the Emergency of 1975 still remains one of the debatable events in Indian political history. It reduced civil liberty and the press freedom, but simultaneously started a political motion that eventually transformed the politics of power in India. After the Emergency period, there had been significant constitutional changes and political shifts, and this is why it can be regarded as a critical point of the development of democracy development in the country.

India has introduced the DhartiAaba Janbhagidari Abhiyan (DAJA) or the biggest ever tribal empowerment initiative in the history of the country. Crossing 1 lakh tribal villages and PVTG settlements in 31 states and UTs, the campaign will target to include more than 5.5 crore tribal citizens and make these all-inclusive government welfare schemes. It will be launched on June 15, 2025, and completed on July 15, 2025, as it will cater to the pressing needs of the tribal communities by offering essential services, including the Aadhaar enrolment process, the Ayushman Bharat cards scheme, the PM-Kisan registration process, etc. The promotion also celebrates Bhagwan Birsa Munda the leader of the tribal pride and struggle.

Context

The DAJA campaign in India is empowering 5.5 crores of tribal citizens in 31 states/UTs by providing them the government services at their tribal village itself. The effort is a celebration of being tribal and inclusion with the support of grass-roots involvement and culture affirming.

Key Points 

Launches & Coverage:

• Release date: June 15, 2025

• Coverage: 1 lakh + tribal villages and PVTG habitation in 550+ districts in 31 states/UTs

• Target Group: More than 5.5 crore tribal citizens

• Completion: Expected in July 15, 2025

Objective:

• Empower the tribal communities by door step delivery of welfare schemes such as Aadhaar, Ayushman Bharat, PM-Kisan, Ujjwala, Jan Dhan.

Key Achievements 

• 53+ lakh tribal citizens covered

• More than 22,000 Tribal Empowerment Camps organized

• 1.38 lakh enrolments of Aadhar

• Ayushman Bharat cards maintained in thousands of numbers

• More than 46,000 PM-Kisan registrations

• 22,000 and above Ujjwala registrations

• Jan dhan accounts opened 32,000 and above

Focus Areas of Theme:

• Welfare Saturation- Assuring all entitlements to eligible tribal households.

• Cultural inclusion: Tribal art, language and outreach in local dialects

• Options provided within incentives: FRA, pensions, start up, legal support

Pillars of Governance:

• Janbhagidari: Leadership and involvement of tribal community

• Saturation: 100 percent of the eligible beneficiaries

• Cultural Inclusion: Enhancing tribal identity and Tribal heritage

• Convergence: Partnership between the ministry, CSOs and the youth

• The last mile delivery: Services in furthest tribal regions

Leadership & Participation:

• Opening by Shri Jayant Chaudhary and Smt. Savitri Thakur

• Support at the local level- by such leaders as Shri Mangubhai Patel & Shri Devendra Fadnavis

• Participation of over 700 tribal groups and 75 PVTGs

Cultural Activities:

• Folk expo, handicraft expo, tribal food festivals

• The youth and civil society was instrumental in execution

History & Worth:

• Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh is part of it.

• Homenaje a Bhagwan Birsa Munda (DhartiAaba)

• Fits in the PM desire of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas to make the tribals the center of the development of India

Conclusion

The DhartiAaba Janbhagidari Abhiyan (DAJA) has become a landmark in the processes of tribal empowerment in India, with the aim of inclusion, self-dependence, and social participation of tribals. The campaign is not only empowering the tribal women, youth and their families; but also it is celebrating their heritage and contribution as Indians to the country by giving them direct connection to the government welfare schemes. It is an effort to restate that the government is true to its cause to be an inclusive government and respect that of the tribe in the Indian saga of development.

India has improved very well in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index as it ranks 99 th out of 167 countries in the 2025 version of Sustainable Development Report (SDR). It is a significant milestone because India has improved its ranking in 2024 although it ranked 109th and the score was 67. The report was published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and follows the implementation of the 17 SDGs that were adopted in 2015. The improvement of the ranking of India is commendable as it ranks higher compared to its nearby states such as Bangladesh and Pakistan but lower than China and the United States. Nevertheless, the report cautions that the path towards global SDG has been going relatively nowhere with just 17% of the SDG goals on course in 2030.

Context

• Acquiring the 99 th position in the international SDG search rankings, India has gained entry into the top 100 in the list for the first time with a score of 67. 

• Even though there are improvements, the report also outlines major problems in the SDG performance across the world.

Key Points

The ranking of India in the SDG:

• This is the first time India is in the top 100 nations on the 2025 SDG Index which pegs it at place 99 of 167 countries.

• India scored 67 which is also a tremendous improvement on the 109 th ranking of 2024.

Comparison to other Nations:

• China is placed at number 49 with a score of 74.4 with the United States at number 44 with 75.2 points.

• Among India’s neighbors:

  • Bhutan ranks 74th with 70.5.

  • Nepal is at 85th with 68.6.

  • Bangladesh is at 114th with 63.9.

  • Pakistan stands at 140th with 57.

  • Maldives and Sri Lanka are ranked 53rd and 93rd, respectively.

Global Climate and the Issues:

• The SDG Index gauges the worldwide achievement of the 17 SDGs accepted by the United Nations in 2015, and a score of 100 demonstrates the full accomplishment of these objectives.

• Global SDG movement has mostly stopped, and just 17% of all objectives are expected to be reached by 2030. 

• The obstacles to meeting the goals on the basis of factors such as conflicts, structural weaknesses and constrained fiscal space have been pointed out.

European Nations hegemony:

• The highest positions of the SDG Index are occupied by European countries, especially Finland, Sweden, and Denmark.

• The leading 20 countries are in Europe with a display of high regional outlays in sustainable development efforts.

The Problems of the Ranking Nations:

• Even the leading European countries are struggling, especially in terms of anthropogenic climatic changes and the concept of biodiversity most prominently caused by unsustainable consumption habits.

Conclusion

Since the country ended up in the 99th position in terms of SDG Index in the year 2025 it is evident that the country has made positive efforts in progressing towards giving off positive experiences towards attaining sustainability in the region. In spite of the progress, structural issues still hamper global SDG efforts and India should still pay attention to such signs as poverty eradication, climate action, and health care, to advance its performance further in connection with SDGs. The world trend shows that Europe is the innovative leader of sustainable development, but even they have to cope with difficulties.