Facing an acute shortage of doctors at its rural health centres, the state government hopes that some of their work could be done by pharmacists instead. But public health advocates are not so sure.
Amidst the gloom of lives endlessly disrupted by river erosion, a few farmers are successfully experimenting with horticulture in the heart of the very river that is swallowing their lands.
The rapid growth of the industry has brought jobs and prosperity, but also threatens the city's lakes and hills. A new way forward is needed, with emphasis on sustainability and conservation.
Facing an acute shortage of doctors at its rural health centres, the state government hopes that some of their work could be done by pharmacists instead. But public health advocates are not so sure.
Adequate attention has not been given to strengthening the government in performing key functions, directly or through public authorities. Reforms to address this are now needed.
With ridership down, DMRC's annual losses, which had already been growing each year, have ballooned. Non-fare revenues are low, and the company's obligations to repay loans are looming.
Apart from the loss of their habitat, migratory birds face a new threat from the growing number of renewable energy projects. The Great Indian Bustard has seen its numbers drop precipitously.
The Brahmaputra has eroded lands along its course repeatedly, forcing villagers along its embankments to find new homes and work each time, in a perpetual struggle to stabilise their lives and livelihoods.
The Constitution recognises the threat of private discrimination, and prohibits it in its text. An interpretation that recognises the historical chronicle and context of exclusion is needed to uphold it.
Immunity conferred from natural infection and vaccines, patterns of social contact, and virus transmissibility will all play a role in what COVID-19 will look like as it continues to circulate.
Many landowners around forests would set aside some lands in exchange for payments. Some see this as a promising conservation strategy, but others believe more nuance is needed.
Repeated lockdowns and curfews have been a golden opportunity for wildlife traffickers targeting termite-eating pangolins in Simlipal National Park and adjacent districts.
Huge backlogs in the justice system have prompted judges to look for ways to speed things up. The Supreme Court has twice pointed fingers at long and repetitive oral arguments.
By listening to residents, and understanding the needs that have driven them to organic solutions, it is possible for Master Plans in cities to be a lot more attentive to the lived realities of people.
The decision is neither straightforward nor uniform. A nuanced view is needed to select the ones that can be closed profitably, and more importantly to stop too many new ones coming up.
Millions of women migrate each year, widespread yet unseen in their struggle to find and keep work. A gendered understanding of migrants is needed in policies and intervention programs.
Odisha's Livelihood Mission promotes local gardens to help adivasis find food security. These also improve nutrition levels, and provide additional income from surplus produce.
Erratic monsoon patterns and other disruptions by climate change are reducing the number of fishing days in coastal Kerala. Small-scale fishers are looking for other livelihood options instead.
Urban finances do need to be strengthened, but expenditure alone is not enough to improve outcomes. A study of waste management in 27 cities shows the importance of other non-monetary influences.
There are several government schemes to assist those who've lost their livelihoods from informal jobs, but many eligible workers find it difficult to register for benefits, despite court interventions.
Hundreds of indigenous languages have vanished; many more are spoken by only a few. But as the Asur adivasis of Jharkhand show, it is possible to revive and preserve a language.
Formal urban planning and official heritage narratives have ignored the cultural legacies of cities. Citizens groups, however, are already exploring this and could point the way forward.
States have followed varied paths to development, proclaiming models of their own. But these have been limited, and not presented a new imagination of governance itself.
The courts are public institutions, whose functioning should be transparent and accountable. The media's role in informing the public about the courts should therefore not be diluted.
In low-income families, women have faced more vulnerabilities than men during covid. These interventions could form the backbone of a new resilience for them now and in future disasters.
Repeated natural disasters, closed mandis and a forced halt to transportation of produce have brought maize farmes in Nabarangpur and other districts to the brink of distress.
Can people themselves decide how governments should respond to their needs? Janta ka Faisla asks us to consider how the practice of democracy would look if it began from the most vulnerable citizens.
A survey of nearly 15,000 women in the aftermath of the pandemic-induced lockdown last year reveals specific ways in which women are particularly vulnerable to risks.
The higher judiciary has very few women. While this low representation is acknowledged to be a problem by the judiciary itself, there has been no serious effort to correct it.
In cities across Karnataka, civil society groups are pushing the government to set up ward committees and area sabhas through which they can direct the governance of their localities.
A pilot program shows how learning can continue despite the lockdown, and also how the gap in technology-assisted learning available to children in government schools can be closed.
Scheduled Tribes were marginalised even before Covid-19. Now, in Odisha's tribal districts, they face a worse reality. Livelihoods are vanishing, and health risks loom large.
Can people themselves plan for their basic services? A new initiative in informal settlements which have been ignored by formal planners shows the potential of a different approach.
Power connections are now available across rural India. However, there is still a lot to be done before villagers reliably get uninterrupted electricity that can help them live and work better.
Policy-makers are increasingly concerned about the potential impact of more waves of covid. High-frequency, night-time light data from last year's lockdown provides some answers.
Poor governance of natural resources is undermining progress in curbing emissions. It is also weakening the resilience of vulnerable people who are affected by climate change.
Adequate attention has not been given to strengthening the government in performing key functions, directly or through public authorities. Reforms to address this are now needed.
With ridership down, DMRC's annual losses, which had already been growing each year, have ballooned. Non-fare revenues are low, and the company's obligations to repay loans are looming.
Apart from the loss of their habitat, migratory birds face a new threat from the growing number of renewable energy projects. The Great Indian Bustard has seen its numbers drop precipitously.
The Brahmaputra has eroded lands along its course repeatedly, forcing villagers along its embankments to find new homes and work each time, in a perpetual struggle to stabilise their lives and livelihoods.
The Constitution recognises the threat of private discrimination, and prohibits it in its text. An interpretation that recognises the historical chronicle and context of exclusion is needed to uphold it.
Immunity conferred from natural infection and vaccines, patterns of social contact, and virus transmissibility will all play a role in what COVID-19 will look like as it continues to circulate.
Many landowners around forests would set aside some lands in exchange for payments. Some see this as a promising conservation strategy, but others believe more nuance is needed.
Repeated lockdowns and curfews have been a golden opportunity for wildlife traffickers targeting termite-eating pangolins in Simlipal National Park and adjacent districts.
Huge backlogs in the justice system have prompted judges to look for ways to speed things up. The Supreme Court has twice pointed fingers at long and repetitive oral arguments.
By listening to residents, and understanding the needs that have driven them to organic solutions, it is possible for Master Plans in cities to be a lot more attentive to the lived realities of people.
The decision is neither straightforward nor uniform. A nuanced view is needed to select the ones that can be closed profitably, and more importantly to stop too many new ones coming up.
Millions of women migrate each year, widespread yet unseen in their struggle to find and keep work. A gendered understanding of migrants is needed in policies and intervention programs.
Odisha's Livelihood Mission promotes local gardens to help adivasis find food security. These also improve nutrition levels, and provide additional income from surplus produce.
Erratic monsoon patterns and other disruptions by climate change are reducing the number of fishing days in coastal Kerala. Small-scale fishers are looking for other livelihood options instead.
Urban finances do need to be strengthened, but expenditure alone is not enough to improve outcomes. A study of waste management in 27 cities shows the importance of other non-monetary influences.
There are several government schemes to assist those who've lost their livelihoods from informal jobs, but many eligible workers find it difficult to register for benefits, despite court interventions.
Hundreds of indigenous languages have vanished; many more are spoken by only a few. But as the Asur adivasis of Jharkhand show, it is possible to revive and preserve a language.
Formal urban planning and official heritage narratives have ignored the cultural legacies of cities. Citizens groups, however, are already exploring this and could point the way forward.
States have followed varied paths to development, proclaiming models of their own. But these have been limited, and not presented a new imagination of governance itself.
The courts are public institutions, whose functioning should be transparent and accountable. The media's role in informing the public about the courts should therefore not be diluted.
In low-income families, women have faced more vulnerabilities than men during covid. These interventions could form the backbone of a new resilience for them now and in future disasters.
Repeated natural disasters, closed mandis and a forced halt to transportation of produce have brought maize farmes in Nabarangpur and other districts to the brink of distress.
Can people themselves decide how governments should respond to their needs? Janta ka Faisla asks us to consider how the practice of democracy would look if it began from the most vulnerable citizens.
A survey of nearly 15,000 women in the aftermath of the pandemic-induced lockdown last year reveals specific ways in which women are particularly vulnerable to risks.
The higher judiciary has very few women. While this low representation is acknowledged to be a problem by the judiciary itself, there has been no serious effort to correct it.
In cities across Karnataka, civil society groups are pushing the government to set up ward committees and area sabhas through which they can direct the governance of their localities.
A pilot program shows how learning can continue despite the lockdown, and also how the gap in technology-assisted learning available to children in government schools can be closed.
Scheduled Tribes were marginalised even before Covid-19. Now, in Odisha's tribal districts, they face a worse reality. Livelihoods are vanishing, and health risks loom large.
Can people themselves plan for their basic services? A new initiative in informal settlements which have been ignored by formal planners shows the potential of a different approach.
Power connections are now available across rural India. However, there is still a lot to be done before villagers reliably get uninterrupted electricity that can help them live and work better.
Policy-makers are increasingly concerned about the potential impact of more waves of covid. High-frequency, night-time light data from last year's lockdown provides some answers.
Poor governance of natural resources is undermining progress in curbing emissions. It is also weakening the resilience of vulnerable people who are affected by climate change.
India Together is published with support from Oorvani Foundation.
