Ramachandra Guha
thinks that educational aspirations - especially for Muslim girls -
that have long been deferred despite the promise of
independence may finally be nearer to reality.
The evidence of the pernicious influence of today's mass-media
empires is overwhelming. But, lacking a
historical consciousness that includes technology, modern India
is thoroughly unprepared to tackle the excesses they promote, says
Venkatesh R. Iyer.
Compelled by civil society and the courts, New Delhi recently took steps on opening
up the airwaves to the non-commercial sector, but not quickly or broadly enough,
says
Subramaniam Vincent.
Superstition, the occult, God, government and technology have all been pressed into service in Anantapur's desperate search for water.
P Sainath
continues his series on farmer suicides.
Delhi's High Capacity Bus System promises enormous gains, but has been a long time coming.
Dr. Geetam Tiwari
of the IIT-Delhi sheds some light on the project and the difficulties in the making it happen.
The Supreme Court thinks that judges in the Best Bakery case should have
taken a more pro-active role, using a range of mechanisms to ensure justice.
This, the court says, can be done without undermining the fundamental fairness
of the trial, or the accused's rights.
Manju Dhall
reports.
In Andhra Pradesh, the Naidu government's Janmabhoomi model of
development gutted the panchayats
and curbed local democracy. Hence, the panchayats have proved totally
ineffective during the agrarian crisis, reports
P Sainath.
Seeds, fertilizer and pesticide dealers are at the centre of a growing controversy in Andhra Pradesh. They are the new moneylenders to a peasantry strapped for credit.
P Sainath
concludes his series on farmer suicides in AP.
A Supreme Court directive on providing parents relief from high tuition
comes with an addition - a reminder that these schools are required by law to
reserve 25% of their
seats free for poor children.
Varupi Jain
reports.
On most indicators, Chandrababu Naidu ran the worst performing state in the
south of India for
nearly 10 years. Yet the more damage he did, the more his media standing grew,
says
P Sainath.
