SOME EXPLOITATIONS SOAR : PRECIS

In the sweltering sugar fields of the western Indian state of Maharashtra, abusive practices such as debt bondage and child labor have long been an open secret.

But in 2019, a state lawmaker named Neelam Gorhe documented a new level of brutality : Female workers were getting unnecessary hysterectomies at alarmingly high rates.

She presented her findings to the state's health minister and alerted the region's sugar regulator.

She called on her government colleagues to ensure that workers received basic services including toilets, running water and a minimum wage - all in accordance with Indian law.

'' Powerful politicians in Maharashtra State run mills exploiting women and children ''.

The World Students Society thanks Megha Rajagopalan and Qadri Inzamam.