Articles
Aug 07 2007
WILDLIFE
Taking stock of Sariska
WILDLIFE : Taking stock of Sariska
It is now over three years since the wiping out of tigers in the Sariska reserve. Sariska was India's second tiger crisis in less than two decades. Have the issues that arose as a result of the wakeup call been addressed? Malini Shankar finds out.
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Aug 06 2007
BOOK REVIEW
The business case for informed consent
BOOK REVIEW : The business case for informed consent
A recent publication from the World Resources Institute shows that the informed consent of those affected by large projects can be an asset to those projects, rather than an obstacle. Shripad Dharmadhikary reviews Development Without Conflict: The Business Case for Community Consent.
Aug 05 2007
WATER SUPPLY FRAMEWORK
Rural water supply: The Hebballi experience
WATER SUPPLY FRAMEWORK : Rural water supply: The Hebballi experience
The village of Hebballi in the Krishna river basin is a striking example of a successful and sustainable piped water supply in rural India. While challenges still remain, this experience shows that some steps towards equity and sustainability can be taken in many other places too. S Vishwanath reports.
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Aug 04 2007
OPINION: GENDER VIOLENCE
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Be safe, don't exist
The Delhi Police's booklet containing tips for women from the Northeast to be safe in the capital exposes only their own need for sensitivity training. Not surprisingly, many northeastern students in Delhi are incensed at being portrayed as responsible for their own problems, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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Aug 03 2007
GOVERNMENT
Women leaders denounce amendment to panchayat law
GOVERNMENT : Women leaders denounce amendment to panchayat law
The Karnataka state legislature's amendment to the Panchayati Raj law has already attracted severe criticism from civil society. The governor had also expressed his objections. There is now an outpouring of wrath from women panchayat members around the state as protests intensify. Kathyayini Chamaraj reports.
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Aug 02 2007
ANALYSIS
State of Muslim education in Kerala
ANALYSIS : State of Muslim education in Kerala
In Kerala, considered a role model for other parts of the country, almost all Muslim children up to the tenth standard are in school, numbers that compare well to that of other communities. Yet, the story is very different when one looks at higher education, writes Deepa A.
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Aug 01 2007
PUBLIC FINANCE
Re-engineering the Comptroller and Auditor General
PUBLIC FINANCE : Re-engineering the Comptroller and Auditor General
Public audit of an organisation or individual by a statutory authority is proven to give teeth to enforcement. Why then has India's CAG failed to instill fear in the various government departments and enterprises it monitors? A new book by B P Mathur tackles this and more, says Himanshu Upadhyaya.
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Aug 01 2007
INTERVIEW
"Invisible India is the elephant in your bedroom"
INTERVIEW : "Invisible India is the elephant in your bedroom"
Ashwin Mahesh talks with 2007 Ramon Magsaysay award winner P. Sainath.
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Jul 30 2007
OPINION/ECONOMY
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India's investment opportunities in sustainable business
A new report from TERI, the first of its kind for India, argues that compliance with environmental, social and governance criteria would better differentiate Indian stocks in comparison to issuers from other emerging markets for high quality investors. Rajni Bakshi has more on why India must care.
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Jul 27 2007
DIVERTING FOREST LANDS
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Whittling away at NPV costs
What is the right compensation for forest lands that are converted to non-forest use? How can this be calculated? Increasingly, one finds that project proponents are mounting a range of arguments to plead for the reduction of, or outright exemption from bearing such costs. Kanchi Kohli reports.
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Jul 27 2007
RELIEF PACKAGES
Vidarbha's one-litre-per-cow package
RELIEF PACKAGES : Vidarbha's one-litre-per-cow package
By the Maharashtra government's own count, the 14,221 high-breed cows it gave farmers in Vidarbha add just 1.16 litres each to the milk collection in the region. These cows have cost already indebted farmers over Rs.7.5 crore. P Sainath reports.
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Jul 26 2007
HEALTH/SANITATION
Will open defecation end by 2012?
HEALTH/SANITATION : Will open defecation end by 2012?

The short answer appears to be no. Some 4,959 villages have bagged the Nirmal Gram Puraskar (clean village prize) so far, for having flush toilets in every household and school. But there is a flip side of this otherwise incredible script. Sudhirendar Sharma probes the reality.

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Jul 24 2007
WASTE DISPOSAL/GOVERNMENT
The environmental refugees of Brahmapuram
WASTE DISPOSAL/GOVERNMENT : The environmental refugees of Brahmapuram
Recently, disaster struck all 53 families of the Chellipadam village in a Kochi suburb, when nearly 25 lorries, all carrying stinking garbage from the city rolled in with heavy police escort and dumped decaying garbage in their midst. The villagers had to flee their homes unable to stand the stench. M Suchitra and P N Venugopal have more.
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Jul 24 2007
INSURGENCY IN MANIPUR
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Guns and widows
Raging violence across the state continues to take the lives of young men in Manipur. For the young widows left behind, the struggle for survival is fraught with newly added responsibilities, for which many of them are ill-prepared. Thingnam Anjulika Samom reports.
Jul 22 2007
OPINION
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Young, male and deadly
The association of the disenfranchised male with violence is manifest among all religions, and on both sides of the political spectrum. Ramachandra Guha looks at age, sex and class as factors in extremist violence in Bangalore and elsewhere.
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Jul 21 2007
AGRICULTURE MARKETING
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From APMCs to electronic markets
New electronic trading exchanges promise to give Indian farmers better options for marketing their crops, eliminating middle-men costs substantially in the process. To gain market-share, the exchanges will have to help farmers become familiar with the system. Gagandeep Kaur reports.
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Jul 20 2007
TRIBUTE: PRAKASH KARDALEY
Leading relentlessly, till the end
TRIBUTE: PRAKASH KARDALEY : Leading relentlessly, till the end
Prakash Kardaley's personal integrity and unflinching courage to uncover the wrongs in society were an inspiration to his colleagues. Equally, the RTI law for him was a weapon; he insisted that ordinary citizens were the warriors who had to wield it. Rasika Dhavse pays tribute to the senior journalist who passed away on 15 July.
Jul 19 2007
OPINION
Why Pooja got 'mad'
OPINION : Why Pooja got 'mad'

Behind the entire media cacophony over Pooja Chauhan is a real story and a real person. The story is a familiar one. Of women, thousands of them, who are harassed over dowry or over the gender of the child they birth, particularly if she turns out to be a girl, writes Kalpana Sharma.

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Jul 18 2007
HIRING CRUNCH/VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Training in local languages key for new jobs
HIRING CRUNCH/VOCATIONAL EDUCATION : Training in local languages key for new jobs

The latest vocational education courses are presenting job opportunities for high school graduates that their poor parents lacked. Institutes conducting bilingual training are particularly helpful for students who are very likely to have not schooled in English medium. Padmalatha Ravi has more.

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Jul 17 2007
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
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Linkages between HIV-AIDS and gender violence
A six-month research study to understand violence against HIV affected women revealed key contours of pre-contractual and post-contractual threats and risks that women face. Shoma Chatterji reports on a workshop where the findings were discussed.
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