The stated claims of India and Pakistan are so far apart that the only possible solution is to freeze
existing claims and create a human exclusion zone, says
Pavan Nair.
In July the Chief of the Central Election Commission wrote to the Prime Minister outlining
several proposals for further reforms in the electoral arena.
Rasika Dhavse
reports.
As farming floundered, many families came to the
towns. The men sought work as auto drivers or daily wage labour. Often without success.
In this struggle against poverty, the stress on their wives was enormous.
P Sainath
continues his series on farmer suicides in Andhra.
The majority of civil fire incidents happen due to lack of clear laws and a blatant disregard for existing rules and regulations, assert
Harminder Kaur and Bhargavi S Rao.
The authors look at the Karnataka situation.
With the energy import bill rising all the time, and enormous energy needs
still to be met, the government as well as private players are looking at
biofuels as an alternative to traditional petroleum.
K V Prayukth
reports.
After years of public participation, the National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plan reached its final stage.
And then, things began
to unravel.
Kanchi Kohli
reports.
When water intensive commercial crops are grown in water scarce areas and the produce exported, it amounts to a virtual export of water, even as water availability becomes scarcer. The virtual water
concept must be considered seriously in India, asserts
Shama Perveen.
Subramaniam Vincent
follows the intrigue, as New Delhi seeks to weaken Right to Information
laws on the one hand, and receives a proposal to strengthen RTI at the
same time.
The measure of the Budget lies in whether the proposals have
the potential to provide an effective solution to the
crisis of the agrarian community.
On that score, says
Kasturi Das,
there will be little to cheer
as long as the government persist with the failed Green
Revolution model.
The new government's candour that meaningful reforms must permeate
into the institutions beyond the budgetary process itself is a start.
The India Together editorial.
The Bangalore based technology non-profit, eGovernments Foundation has recently
been in the news for expanding its municipal systems reform operations
to New Delhi. Managing Trustee
Srikanth Nadhamuni
talks to Subramaniam Vincent.
New ideas and initiatives are emerging from the liaison between the press and the advertisers. Advertorials and advertising features are manifestations of this relationship, says
Deepti Mahajan.
Rather than rouse themselves to respond when floods strike,
state governments seize the opportunity to play
financial games with the Centre, says
Dinesh Mishra.
For many in Andhra Pradesh's agrarian crisis, even death is not the end of
the trouble. Instead, it is the beginning of a new burden for the families
of the survivors.
P Sainath
continues his series on farmer suicides in Andhra.
We need to think about how RTI could be used to ensure more
"systemic" solutions, where the performance of our government
institutions are discussed in a regular, predictable manner says
Ramesh Ramanathan.
Women's oppression will not end only with economic progress, or with education. The problem
lies in a deeply disrespectful, even contemptuous, attitude towards women, says
Kalpana Sharma.
