Economic & Political Weekly’s May 2, 2026 issue (Vol. 61, No. 18) covers the West Asia war’s economic fallout, renewed ethnic conflict in Manipur, and special articles on GVC participation, landholding inequality, and judicial appointments.
[Source: Economic and Political Weekly — Sameeksha Trust — 2 May 2026 — https://www.epw.in/journal/2026/18]
Issue 18 (Vol. 61, No. 18 — 2 May 2026)
| Section | Articles |
|---|---|
| Editorial | “The War in West Asia” |
| Comment | “Renewed Ethnic Conflict in Manipur” |
| Commentary | “Muslims, Labour and Belonging in Assam” (Angshuman Choudhury and Manoranjan Pegu); “Judges behind a Veil: The Perils of Per Curiam in a Constitutional Democracy” (Vivek Kumar and R Rajesh Babu); “Role of Artificial Intelligence of Things in Agricultural Sustainability in India” (Prasanta Moharaj and Susanta Kumar Sethy); “New Nepal: A Radical Change and the Challenges Ahead” (S D Muni) |
| Special Articles | “Intellectual Contributions of Amiya Kumar Bagchi” (Achin Chakraborty and Simantini Mukhopadhyay); “Productivity Gains from Global Value Chains Participation: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing Firms” (Bishwanath Goldar and Anindita Goldar); “Inequalities in Landholdings: Evidence from Social Groups in India” (Azad P and Ratnakumari K A) |
| Notes | “Judicial Fortitude versus Executive Overreach: Appointment of Judges to Indian Higher Judiciary (2014–22)” (Swarati Sabhapandit) |
| Perspectives | “Beyond Criminalisation: The Limits of Law in Addressing Marital Rape and Domestic Violence” (Stuti Shah) |
| Book Reviews | “Court Culture of Medieval India” (Vikas Rathee); “The Politics of Memorialisation” (Pallavi Raghavan) |
Key Articles for UPSC
“The War in West Asia” (Editorial)
Addresses how the escalating West Asia conflict has disrupted global economic recovery — raising commodity prices, financial instability, and inflation expectations. Relevant to GS2 (IR) and GS3 (economy/energy security).
“Productivity Gains from Global Value Chains Participation: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing Firms” (Bishwanath Goldar and Anindita Goldar)
Analyses data from approximately 14,000 manufacturing firms over two decades (1999–2019) to assess productivity gains from GVC participation. [Source: EPW Vol. 61 No. 18 — Sameeksha Trust — 2 May 2026 — https://www.epw.in/journal/2026/18]
“Judicial Fortitude versus Executive Overreach: Appointment of Judges to Indian Higher Judiciary (2014–22)” (Swarati Sabhapandit)
Examines tension between collegium-recommended judicial appointments and executive delays/rejections between 2014 and 2022 — directly relevant to GS2 (judiciary and executive).
“Inequalities in Landholdings: Evidence from Social Groups in India” (Azad P and Ratnakumari K A)
Analyses landholding distribution across caste/social groups — GS3 (agriculture, land reform) and GS1 (social structure).
UPSC GS Relevance
| Paper | Key Themes |
|---|---|
| GS2 | Judicial appointments vs. executive overreach; Per curiam judgments; Manipur ethnic conflict; marital rape law debate; Nepal political transition; Muslim labour identity in Assam |
| GS3 | West Asia war economic impact; GVC participation and manufacturing productivity; landholding inequality across social groups; AIoT in agriculture |
| GS1 | Amiya Kumar Bagchi’s intellectual contributions (economic history); landholding and social groups |
| IR | West Asia war escalation; New Nepal political dynamics; S D Muni analysis |
