Articles
Apr 28 2005
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Latest judgment proves it all
The displaced people of the Narmada valley have long argued that the states and the Centre have shortchanged them - ignoring the claims of many, offering uncultivable land in exchange, and going ahead with dam construction even before they are resettled. A recent Supreme Court verdict proves they were right all along, says Medha Patkar.
Apr 27 2005
Fighting for a better, cleaner world
: Fighting for a better, cleaner world
Employees of the Delhi based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have been celebrating recently. The Padma Shri award, the Stockholm Water Prize and the Chameli Devi Jain award have come in quick succession. Ramesh Menon tracks the growth of CSE and Sunita Narain, its director.
Apr 26 2005
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Salvaging VAT's left
The first few weeks of the Value Added Tax have been shaky, with traders and some states threatening to bring down the whole system. Economic pundits too are angry at the diluted focus of India's version of the VAT. But the method has merit, and must be persisted with, notes Dinkar Ayilavarapu.
Apr 25 2005
Chennai sucking up rural water
: Chennai sucking up rural water
Over the last five years the farmers of two rural districts outside Chennai have started selling water from their irrigation wells to the city's water utility. This, to the detriment of cultivation in their own lands and those of neighbouring farmers, reports Krithika Ramalingam.
Apr 24 2005
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Tobacco, naphthalene and land records
We cannot implement policies for land reforms without a well-functioning land records system. And If we get this platform in place, we can enable all those interested in reform policy with the tools to ensure that their policy dreams get translated into ground realities, says Ramesh Ramanathan.
Apr 23 2005
Karnataka inches forward in water harvesting
: Karnataka inches forward in water harvesting
Water table reports in Karnataka show that the future looks bleak. While rainwater harvesting (RWH) is looked upon as a viable solution and has become a buzzword, the state has only taken an incremental implementation path, with urban areas currently leading rural areas, reports Padmalatha Ravi.
Apr 22 2005
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Changing notes of music education
A largely oral system for transfering knowledge has been shaken by the advent of modern methods of learning, and by great changes in Indian society. But there are positive developments too; learning music is now more democratic than in the past. Varupi Jain speaks to noted practitioners who are alert to this transformation.
Apr 21 2005
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Expert committees under the lens
"Why are the Expert Committees of Ministry of Environment and Forests dominated by ex-bureaucrats, politicians and engineers?" asked over 60 non-profit organizations earlier this month in an open letter. Kanchi Kohli was one of the drafters of the letter to Ministry that has asked for a reconstitution of the flawed committees.
Apr 20 2005
Dandi: Crowds say something too
: Dandi: Crowds say something too
Was the salt march an essentially libertarian stand against taxes and government, was it about non-violence, or simply an assault on British rule via its weakest link? The more I reflect on Gandhi, the more I think that his enduring legacy is that you can find your own message in him, says Dilip D'Souza.
Apr 19 2005
Unguarded and awaiting protection
: Unguarded and awaiting protection
Declared 'protected' by the central government way back in 1984, the Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala has suffered from emboldened poachers who have met with little resistance from authorities. But with community involvement, a local development committee holds some hope of restoring protection, reports Deepa A.
Apr 18 2005
The half-life of justice and common sense
: The half-life of justice and common sense
After one round of public scrutiny and an adverse order from the Supreme court, UCIL's plans for uranium mining in Nalgonda seemed to be defeated. But the company now proposes to continue down the same path, apparently unmindful of local opposition or legal strictures. Sunita Dubey reports.
Apr 16 2005
E isn't everything
: E isn't everything
E-governance is governance first and electronics next. Though administrative improvements brought about through the use of technology are welcome, the real goal should be enhanced governance. We cannot also ignore the great risk that mere technocratic e-government may sharpen the stark inequalities of our society. The India Together editorial.
Apr 15 2005
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Do reservations work?
A number of researchers in economics have started to look closely at political reservations. In one recent instance, Professor Rohini Pande of Yale University has found that reservations in state legislatures do increase influence in policy-making for scheduled castes and tribes. Tarun Jain reports.
Apr 14 2005
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Suryanelli verdict : justice overturned?
The Suryanelli case involved a 16-year-old girl who was allegedly sexually harassed and assaulted continuously for 40 days by 42 men in 1996. A special court convicted 36 accused during 2000-2, but the High Court of Kerala surprisingly overturned that verdict in January this year. M Suchitra reports.
Apr 13 2005
Narmada rehabilitation scam exposed
: Narmada rehabilitation scam exposed
A simple way to claim that everyone affected by dam construction is properly rehabilitated is to make a list of affected persons - and then leave off thousands of them from the list. This has been the history of rehabilitation in the Narmada valley. Himanshu Upadhyaya notes that after many years, the game isn't quite adding up in the courts.
Apr 12 2005
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Gendered tsunami
A recent Oxfam report finds that women were, and are, disproportionately higher victims of the tsunami than men. While nature doesn't discriminate, says Kalpana Sharma, society certainly does, and such tragedies should remind us of this, or women will continue to remain invisible in suffering.
Apr 11 2005
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Brains and bullocks
Village economies are increasingly unable to adjust to the forces of globalisation, which is capital-intensive, and has a large urban footprint. Aparna Pallavi reports on a meeting to address the challenges villages face, and the suggestions thrown up by participants confident that the challenges can be met.
Apr 08 2005
Clean hands, not soap sales
: Clean hands, not soap sales

Who can object to washing hands regularly to improve hygiene? In Kerala, the World Bank found out that it isn't enough to promote sensible messages; it's also important that the messages do not appear to be based on ulterior motives, like sales for MNC products. Darryl D'Monte reports.

Apr 07 2005
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The cost of eradicating polio
For seven years women and children of the rural districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have been deprived of essential health services so that the polio eradication campaign could go on. On World Health Day, Abhijit Das points out that this need not be.
Apr 06 2005
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Disaster management: Putting people first
There is plenty of native intelligence among the people that is very useful in averting and responding to disasters. Planning for disaster management must see this as an asset. The top-down planning and implementation currently in vogue is a poor substitute for community participation, says Videh Upadhyay.