Dweep Tulika

New Delhi | August 27, 2026 A fresh confrontation has emerged between India and a United Nations human-rights watchdog over the proposed development of Great Nicobar Island , with the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) calling for suspension of the projects pending independent assessments, while the Government of India has rejected the committee's observations as “politically motivated” and “highly malicious.” The development has brought the long-running debate over the Great Nicobar infrastructure project back into the national spotlight, placing Indigenous rights, environmental concerns and India's development priorities at the centre of the discussion. In its concluding observations on India, CERD expressed concern over the potential impact of major infrastructure and development projects on Indigenous and tribal communities. With regard to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the committee recommended that India suspend implementation of the pr...

Campbell Bay   | August 19, 2026 BJP State Secretary K. Paramasivam has raised concerns over the prolonged shortage of LPG cylinders in Campbell Bay, Great Nicobar , and urged the authorities to ensure regular supplies to residents of the remote island. Speaking on the issue, Paramasivam said the last LPG consignment had reportedly reached Campbell Bay on April 24, after which no regular supply had been received. He said around 240 cylinders had subsequently been transported by a Navy vessel , with another consignment of approximately 240 cylinders expected to be sent, but maintained that the quantity was insufficient to meet local requirements. According to Paramasivam, Campbell Bay requires around 3,000 cylinders to adequately address the shortage. He attributed the disruption primarily to transportation difficulties, noting that vessels serving the area, including Monostar and Shakti , were undergoing dry-dock and survey-related work. Paramasivam said advance planning co...

New Delhi | 10 August 2026 Member of Parliament from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands Shri Bishnu Pada Ray met Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum seeking early resolution of eight issues concerning the Islanders. According to the memorandum, the issues raised cover employment, higher education, development funding, local governance, rehabilitation, healthcare and the regularisation of long-serving workers. A key demand was the introduction of a Domicile Law providing 100% job reservation for Islanders , along with an upper age limit of 40 years for Group-B (Non-Gazetted) and Group-C posts. The memorandum seeks such provisions on the lines of arrangements referred to by the MP in relation to the Union Territory of Ladakh. Ray has previously raised similar demands in Parliament. The MP also sought the establishment of a Central University in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands , replacing the existing deemed-university model. The demand for a Cen...

Sri Vijaya Puram | July 6, 2026 Imagine governing a place where every sack of cement, every litre of fuel, every ambulance, and even many government officials must first cross more than 1,200 kilometres of sea before reaching their destination. Welcome to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands , India's most isolated and perhaps most uniquely administered Union Territory. For many visitors, the islands feel almost like another country. Flights from mainland India take several hours, ships require days, and daily life is shaped less by highways and railways than by tides, weather conditions and ferry schedules. Yet these islands remain an inseparable part of India, making their administration unlike anywhere else in the country. Unlike Indian states, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands do not have a Legislative Assembly or an elected Chief Minister. Instead, the Union Territory is administered by the Lieutenant Governor on behalf of the Central Government. As a result, many important decision...