Articles
Dec 26 2005
OPINION / UNDERTRIALS
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Your hands, so warm
It's bad enough that you can pay bribes to officials who are very willing to take them; bad enough that ill-gotten gains are nearly a birthright today; bad enough that values are to laugh at. But corruption is about more than these. Corruption breaks down the very rules we live by. Dilip D'Souza remembers his court appearances.
Dec 25 2005
RENAMING BANGALORE
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A divided city
The line between cultural assertion and chauvinism is a very thin one. The demand for renaming Bangalore, part of the unfinished business of linguistic nationalism, is legitimate, and should be honoured. However, Kannada pride should not lead to Kannada chauvinism, writes Ramachandra Guha.
Dec 24 2005
LIVELIHOODS
A drive through hell
LIVELIHOODS : A drive through hell
It is a common perception that truck drivers are rash individuals, responsible for the deaths of numerous citizens in accidents each year. But few know how much the work conditions of drivers contribute to making them who they are. At an awareness camp for drivers at Chandrapur, Aparna Pallavi finds out more.
Dec 23 2005
EARTHQUAKE RELIEF
A race for shelter against winter
EARTHQUAKE RELIEF : A race for shelter against winter
Shelter kits developed by Oxfam are being distributed in quake-hit villages in Uri and Tangdhar, but many hurdles have to be overcome to provide these to everyone before the weather turns bitterly cold. Kanchi Kohli finds hopeful but worried villagers and relief workers fighting the odds and the elements.
Dec 22 2005
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Testimonies of harassment
SEXUAL HARASSMENT : Testimonies of harassment
Blank Noise, begun as Jasmeen Patheja's personal reaction to street sexual harassment, has grown to record women's experiences in creative ways. The latest of these is a clothes collection effort to tackle the misconception that women's attire invites harassment. Vasudha V reports.
Dec 19 2005
PUBLIC FINANCE
CAG audits of PSUs must stay
PUBLIC FINANCE : CAG audits of PSUs must stay
By framing the debate as one of protecting the 'autonomy' of PSUs from 'microcontrol by government', some pink papers are trying to confuse readers into thinking that CAG audit is a governmental intervention, which it is not. The CAG's role is constitutionally enshrined for ensuring accountability of PSUs, writes Himanshu Upadhyaya.
Dec 18 2005
MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE DISABLED
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Able but unwilling?
On World Disability Day and the few days following it, there was some coverage in the media of issues that concern the disabled population. But, considering that this represents peak coverage for the year it is hardly adequate, especially as the number of disabled persons in India is huge, writes Ammu Joseph.
Dec 16 2005
EDITORIAL: CONSOLIDATING MUNICIPALITIES
The sum of broken parts
EDITORIAL: CONSOLIDATING MUNICIPALITIES : The sum of broken parts

Should Bangalore and its surrounding municipalities be merged into a single jurisdiction, as the state's politicians are now proposing to do? The Constitutional standard as well as Bangalore's abysmal record of administering even the core metropolis both argue against centralisation. The India Together editorial.

Dec 15 2005
OPINION
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Stop the violence
Each year, from November 25 to December 10, the United Nations and women's groups around the world draw attention to continuing violence against women in all our societies. In the midst of this, a recent silver lining is an AP bureaucrat acting to clamp down on sex-selective abortion. Kalpana Sharma takes stock.
Dec 14 2005
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Cry, the beloved countryside
The agrarian crisis in Vidarbha has spun almost out of control. Appeals for swift measures by many have fallen on deaf ears. The farm suicides are the tip of the huge crisis raging here, not its whole. They are, though, its most powerful symbol, writes P Sainath.
Dec 13 2005
LEGALISING PROSTITUTION
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The silence around sex work
Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed and her colleagues made a presentation before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a few months back on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Health interventions for sex workers and homosexuals would progress if they were not regarded as criminals and accorded dignity and rights, they stressed.
Dec 12 2005
VIDARBHA COTTON CRISIS
Another farmer ends life, villagers distraught
VIDARBHA COTTON CRISIS : Another farmer ends life, villagers distraught
"In the time of crisis, when no helping hand is coming forward to rescue us, we have to manage ourselves," says Bhagwat Jadhav, a resident of Bondgavhan village in Vidarbha. His neighour, cotton farmer Ramesh Rathod committed suicide recently. "It could be our turn tomorrow," says a worried Jadhav. Jaideep Hardikar reports.
Dec 10 2005
TAKING STOCK OF A TABOO
Sex education still off the charts
TAKING STOCK OF A TABOO : Sex education still off the charts
Students must feel comfortable seeking counselling on sex-related issues. Each of their questions, no matter how private, needs to be answered. Experts argue that openness in conversation would decrease frustrations and aggressions linked to sexuality amongst youth, says Parul Sharma.
Dec 08 2005
REVIEW: RECORDING THE CRUSADERS
Unearthing the nuggets
REVIEW: RECORDING THE CRUSADERS : Unearthing the nuggets
Down to Earth, a magazine of the New Delhi based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) regularly carries stories of little-known men and women green crusaders. Compiling a number of those stories of struggle, CSE has recently published an impressive book. Darryl D'Monte reviews Agenda Unlimited, 2005.
Dec 07 2005
NEW CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK
A few chapters short
NEW CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK : A few chapters short
The new National Curriculum Framework has put the child firmly at the centre of its proposals. But critics point out that it has overlooked many problems, such as the lack of infrastructure, inadequate teacher training, and continuing social biases. Some provisions have also been attacked as obscurantist. Deepa A reports.
Dec 05 2005
ECONOMY/CASTE
A Dalit straddles the financial world
ECONOMY/CASTE : A Dalit straddles the financial world
Narendra Jadhav is Principal Adviser and Chief Economist at the Reserve Bank of India. He is also a Dalit and strong advocate of reservations in the private sector. His recent book Untouchables : My Family's Triumphant Journey Out of the Caste System in Modern India has received wide acclaim. India Together's Subramaniam Vincent talked with him recently.
Dec 02 2005
RSS WOMEN'S MEET
Dialogue of equivocation
RSS WOMEN'S MEET : Dialogue of equivocation
The national meet of the RSS women's wing witnessed an interesting exercise in the forging of a gender discourse that ostensibly moves away from the Sangh's patriarchal stance, but also visibly shies away from recognising the social and political dimensions of gender-related issues. Aparna Pallavi reports.
Dec 01 2005
PUBLIC HEALTH
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Are we ready for the avian flu pandemic?
The WHO has warned that India would likely be hit if a bird-flu pandemic breaks out because India has large numbers of domestic ducks and the country is along major bird migratory routes originating in the East. Abhijit Das notes a few positive elements in India's readiness, but finds that much more is needed to avert disaster.
Nov 29 2005
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Low cost rural houses from local materials
AFFORDABLE HOUSING : Low cost rural houses from local materials
A traditional rural residence is almost always based on adaptations to the local environment, and is often built with the labour of the villagers themselves without the need for external mechanised inputs. Surekha Sule reports on the Rural Building Centre, a NIRD initiative showcasing several such homes.
Nov 28 2005
KUSHBOO EPISODE
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Women speak out
It is no coincidence that it is women who have been targetted in the recent controversy over talking about pre-marital sex. If men voiced similar opinion, their remarks would have been overlooked. Women, apparently, should not speak about sex with this level of frankness, says Kalpana Sharma.