We believe our readers should know about every tiny event that's shaping the southern part of India as the country claims to chug ahead.
Published Dec 31, 2025 | 6:00 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 31, 2025 | 6:00 PM
Representational image. Credit: iStock
At South First, we believe our readers should know about every important event that is shaping the southern part of India as the country chugs ahead. South First’s exclusive ground reports strengthen its accountability, highlight human experiences, and bridge the gap between policy and people — all this while staying committed to its loyal readers.
Below is the list of South First’s exclusive ground coverage for which our scribes toiled day in a day out so that you’re aware of the events that are shaping the peninsular India, and how it affect people.
Nearly 2,000 people of Manjoli in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district have been stripped of the cover guaranteed by the Constitution. Their rights — to work, lead a decent life, and even to vote — have been taken away, after the tea company, where they had worked for generations, ceased its operations.
SIR of electoral rolls, initiated by the ECI, threatens to strip them of their right to adult franchise, a right guaranteed under Article 326 of the Indian Constitution, even as Tamil Nadu stands on the threshold of another election.
Meanwhile, lakhs of Adivasis in Tamil Nadu are at risk of being excluded from the voter rolls after SIR. A field investigation by South First found that the danger is especially severe for women, as the majority of them lack the documents required to prove their eligibility.
A social media post by a grieving father in Bengaluru, describing alleged bribery and apathy by the city’s civic and police officials, triggered widespread outrage and prompted many users to share similar experiences online. South First visited a municipal corporation office to understand the bureaucratic process of obtaining a death certificate. The visit revealed delays, limited availability of officials, and unofficial offers of assistance through intermediaries.
Sivakumar K, identified in his deleted post as the former CFO at BPCL, wrote that his only child, Akshaya Sivakumar, 34, died on 18 September from a brain haemorrhage at her home in Kasavanahalli. Akshaya, an alumna of IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad, had reportedly worked at Goldman Sachs in Bengaluru. In his post, Sivakumar alleged a chain of exploitation involving ambulance staff, police personnel, crematorium workers, and officials of the Greater Bengaluru Authority.
South First’s ground report on ‘Snehitha’ centres highlighted their crucial role in Kerala. Among themm, the Kakkanad unit in Kochi functions as a 24/7 gender helpdesk and safe space for women and children in distress. Emerging strongly after the Pathanamthitta serial abuse case, Snehitha combines counselling, short-stay facilities, and community outreach through Kudumbashree’s grassroots network.
The centre handles diverse cases—domestic violence, child-related issues, family disputes—ensuring police and Child Welfare Committee involvement when necessary. Survivors find comfort in the home-like environment, with art and writings reflecting resilience. Despite challenges like a malfunctioning toll-free number and lack of in-house legal aid, counsellors such as Kavitha and Aisha Beevi continue to provide empathetic, immediate support.
South First was on the ground to understand what really happened at actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s (TVK) ‘deadly’ rally in Karur. The incident, one of India’s deadliest at a political rally, highlighted risks of massive fan-driven crowds and sparked debates on event safety protocols. Ongoing CBI investigation continues as of late 2025.
Several factors contributed to the disaster. Vijay arriving late by several hours, causing crowds to swell in intense heat while waiting. On the other hand, estimated attendance exceeded 25,000-50,000, far beyond the permitted 10,000, on a narrow venue unsuitable for large gatherings.
Meanwhile, political blame game ruled the roost all through with DMK and TVK trading barbs for the tragedy.
On 22 February 2025, a portion of the roof collapsed in the under-construction Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Domalapenta, Nagarkurnool district, Telangana, trapping eight workers (2 engineers, 2 technicians, and 4 labourers, mostly migrants from Jharkhand, UP, Punjab, and J&K) about 14 km inside. The incident occurred during shift work on a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) when a sudden surge of water, mud, and debris from a shear zone caused the collapse. Only two bodies were recovered (by May 2025) and the remaining six presumed were presumed dead under debris.
Several workers recounted horror, refusing to re-enter due to trauma despite company pressure. Many of them even faced delayed wages and poverty-driven dilemmas: tunnel work offered better pay than farming back home, but now instilled lasting fear.
South First’s ground report on the plight of farmers in Devanahalli, Karnataka, whose ancestral lands were acquired by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for Foxconn’s $2.8 billion iPhone manufacturing plant. Over 1,300 families across 13 villages have lost fertile farmland, leaving them with fragmented plots, reduced incomes, and uncertain futures. Farmers like Srinu and Vijay, once reliant on agriculture, now struggle with unstable daily wage jobs and inadequate compensation—often only a fraction of market value. Promises of jobs and prosperity remain unfulfilled, while many are forced to dip into savings or migrate to cities.
South First exposed shocking lapses at Sresan Pharmaceuticals’ Kanchipuram facility, where unhygienic conditions and gross violations led to the production of toxic cough syrup Coldrif. Containing diethylene glycol at lethal levels, the syrup caused deaths of at least 20 children in MP and Rajasthan. Despite operating since 1990, the factory ran with 364 violations—rusty equipment, unsafe raw materials, and unhygienic floors—without effective regulatory oversight. Locals described the unit as secretive, with little visible activity. Official notices under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act now plaster its walls, but they appear symbolic after decades of unchecked negligence.
South First reported on a disturbing rise in adolescent violence in Kerala, with incidents of stabbings, bullying, and suicide underscoring a deeper social crisis. Experts stress that the issue goes beyond blaming Gen Z, pointing to family dysfunction, lack of supervision, peer pressure, trauma, and unfiltered media exposure as key drivers. Psychiatrists and sociologists stress on the need for emotional regulation, legal literacy, cyber awareness, and health education in schools. Social media’s double-edged influence, coupled with risks of grooming and desensitisation to violence, further complicates adolescent behaviour.
South First reported from Wayanad about the enduring struggles of survivors a year after the Wayanad landslides of July 2024, which claimed 298 lives and destroyed livelihoods across Chooralmala, Vellarimala, and Mundakkai. Farmers like Annayyan K, once prosperous, now survive on meagre earnings as autorickshaw drivers, burdened by debt and loss of farmland. Many families remain displaced, with inadequate rent allowances and delayed housing projects compounding their suffering.
Besides, row over the ₹30 lakh cost of model houses and the government’s focus on memorials sparked criticism, as locals demanded practical support—schools, healthcare, roads, and sustainable livelihoods—over symbolic gestures. While the state promises ₹700 crore in relief and permanent housing for 451 families, survivors continue to battle red tape, poverty, and isolation, insisting that what they need is not remembrance but restoration.
South First reported the severe environmental impact of the MSC Elsa 3 shipwreck off Kerala’s coast on Pulluvila’s fishing community. Since May 2025, households have lost ₹25,000–₹35,000 monthly, with over 80 percent exhausting savings. Damaged boats, nets, and disrupted fishing grounds from plastic nurdles have deepened debt cycles, while consumer fears further shrink incomes. Greenpeace India’s study underscored direct, indirect, and non-economic losses, revealing how maritime accidents compound existing vulnerabilities. Fisherfolk demand compensation, debt relief, and accountability, as the Kerala government engages the National Institute of Oceanography for environmental assessment and pursues damages in court.
A 20-year-old dental student, Shravan was among the 11 young lives snuffed out by the deadly stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on 4 June. His untimely death brought a decades-long dream to a premature end – one nurtured by the farmers of his village, his grandparents, and his mother, who sacrificed comfort so her son could succeed.
When South First visited Shravan’s joint-family home in Koorathalli village, Chikkaballapur district – about two hours north-west of Bengaluru – it felt as if time had paused. The television sat unplugged. No cousins running about, no sounds from the kitchen. Just silence. Not the gentle kind, but a dense, paralysing stillness –that which descends with the heaviness of sorrow.
The challenges faced by anganwadi workers in Karnataka after Centre mandated facial recognition technology (FRT) for the Take Home Ration (THR) programme under ICDS. While intended to curb leakages, the system has led to delays, authentication failures, and exclusion of beneficiaries, particularly pregnant and lactating mothers. Workers report increased workload, poor connectivity, OTP-related issues, and privacy concerns, with over 400 notices issued against them for technical failures. Activists and unions warn that FRT risks excluding vulnerable groups and capturing sensitive personal data without clear safeguards. Despite government claims of 75 percent coverage, ground realities show frustration, mistrust, and disruption in welfare delivery.
Karnataka has brought in a policy, granting women in all sectors a menstrual leave per month. However, women in the unorganised sector and those who do not fall under the Acts under which the policy has been drawn up, have to bear the pain and inconvenience and carry on with their assigned duties. Domestic helps, ASHAs, anganwadi and gig workers fall under this group.
Manjula, an anganwadi worker in Bengaluru, is among those women who do not count — even as an afterthought — in the government’s policy. She lives with irregular periods. Like many other Indian women, she had not sought medical help; her menstrual cycle brings with it intense pain and heavy bleeding. Yet, a menstrual leave remains a dream for her, and many others like Manjula, excluded from the new policy, as anganwadi workers are often classified as “honorary workers” rather than formal employees.
