Articles
Nov 20 2014
ECONOMY & PRICES
Is lower inflation here to stay?

Most measures of inflation over the last couple of months point to an encouraging downward movement in price indices; Shambhu Ghatak deconstructs these measures and quotes observations of the RBI to show why it may still be premature to take low inflation for granted.

Nov 19 2014
E-COMMERCE POLICY
Crying out for clarity
E-COMMERCE POLICY : Crying out for clarity
The e-commerce space in India has been growing in leaps and bounds but inchoate rules and dated laws have created ‘grey areas’ that need to be cleared at the earliest. Akshatha M outlines the key issues in the debate.
Nov 18 2014
NOMENCLATURE OF CITIES
What’s in a name, really?
NOMENCLATURE OF CITIES : What’s in a name, really?

From Bangalore to Bengaluru, or from Bombay to Mumbai, do name changes signify attempts to shake off colonial shackles, instances of linguistic one-upmanship or merely political agenda? Supriya Unni Nair delves deeper into the practice and finds an interesting history.

Nov 17 2014
THE POLITICS OF JUSTICE
Is the army court’s verdict on the Machhil killings enough?
The recent award of life sentences to the army personnel involved in the 2010 Macchil killings in J&K sends out a positive message, but there are deeper layers in the justice system that need introspection and overhaul in the pursuit of reconciliation. Firdaus Ahmed explains.
Nov 17 2014
WOMEN ON TOUGH TURF
The many battles that Kashmiri female cops fight
A female police inspector from J&K, deployed in a peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, has recently won a prestigious international award. Yet, her story holds little meaning for fellow women officers back home who fight social stigma, poor pay and gender bias at work every day. Shazia Yousuf reports.
Nov 14 2014
GROWTH-EMPLOYMENT IMBALANCE
Workers leave agriculture, but where are they headed?
The declining participation of labour force in agriculture could have been treated as a natural, inevitable phase in the country’s transition towards industrialisation, but for the employment trends visible in the industrial sector. Kannan Kasturi’s analysis captures the real cause for worry.
Nov 13 2014
INDO-BHUTAN ENERGY COOPERATION
Hydropower in the land of Gross National Happiness
INDO-BHUTAN ENERGY COOPERATION : Hydropower in the land of Gross National Happiness

The immense untapped potential of hydropower generation in Bhutan has led to several major projects in the offing, with varying degrees of Indian involvement. However, Shripad Dharmadhikary finds a steady rise in voices questioning their impact on the Himalayan environment.

Nov 12 2014
MEDICAL CORRUPTION
Who will lead the anti-corruption agenda in the health sector?
The conduct of election of members to the Medical Council of India in 2013 and its subsequent actions over the past year have underlined the brazen corruption in the regulatory body. Developments in the health ministry raise doubts over whether these issues will be tackled at all. A round up:
Nov 10 2014
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Kerala: A murky ‘state’ of affairs
From misguided attempts at prohibition and moral policing to scams in higher education and declining development, things in Kerala have been taking a rather sordid turn and hitting headlines for all the wrong reasons. P N Venugopal recapitulates some of the most recent developments.
Nov 10 2014
PLANCOM PAPER ON WEAVERS
A lot needs to be done to realise Modi’s dreams for Khadi
In October 2014, a draft consultation paper from the Planning Commission detailed the many issues faced by India’s handloom sector and the failure of earlier schemes to solve the problems faced by weavers. Elizabeth Soumya summarises key points from the report.
Nov 08 2014
BLOG: MANUFACTURING
Would you dare to ‘make in India’?
Prime Minister Modi’s clarion call to manufacture in India signifies a lofty vision, but can that be realised without some critical reforms that would make manufacturing sustainable and rational? Amar Kumar raises pertinent questions.
Nov 07 2014
GOOD SAMARITAN LAW
Can a court order end passive violence?
The recent SC order directing the Centre to protect people, who come forward to help accident victims, from legal and other hassles, is a significant step towards reducing road accident fatalities. Shoma A Chatterji examines the broader social psyche and issues to be addressed to make the world more humane.
Nov 06 2014
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
When kitchen smoke can kill
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION : When kitchen smoke can kill
It has been widely established that the health impact of indoor air pollution, caused often by solid fuels for household cooking, far outweighs the hazards of outdoor pollution. Arpana HS quotes data from the Census and findings from a recent paper to show why India needs to tackle this on priority.
Nov 04 2014
RECLAIMING THE COMMONS
Food security, courtesy Odisha's tribal women

In 25 villages across Rayagada district of Odisha, tribal village women have reclaimed the denuded commons and achieved a remarkable turnaround in food security and livelihoods through eco-friendly alternatives to shifting cultivation. Abhijit Mohanty highlights a few successes of the project.

Nov 03 2014
RIVER REJUVENATION
If the Ganga is so hot, can the Yamuna be far behind?
With the thrust on rejuvenation of the Ganga by the Narendra Modi-led government, rivers in India have become the focus of attention from several international players. Manoj Misra points out how this may explain some recent statements from the government's partner in Yamuna restoration, the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Nov 01 2014
RELIGION & JUSTICE
Muslim women fight patriarchal Sharia laws

Several women’s groups are now fighting the age-old gender bias perpetuated by Sharia law and finding ways to help Muslim women who have suffered due to its patriarchal dispensations. Pushpa Achanta reports on some of these, including one which proposes a codification of such law, reinterpreted.

Oct 31 2014
VAW DATA
Visualising the many layers of a brutal world for women
Does inequality engender crime? S Venkatraman presents a graphical exposition of data from a recent WEF report and the NCRB to unravel the many layers of inequality and violence against women in India.
Oct 31 2014
SECURITY STRATEGY
Can PM Modi pull it off?
SECURITY STRATEGY : Can PM Modi pull it off?
The aggression and pace of the new government’s decisions and activities relating to national security, just as in other areas, may be due to the eagerness to prove itself different from a sloth, ineffectual predecessor. However, the image that it creates comes with its own set of risks, writes Firdaus Ahmed.
Oct 30 2014
ACCOUNTANTS' CONFERENCE
When a finance minister lectured auditors
ACCOUNTANTS' CONFERENCE : When a finance minister lectured auditors
Media reports following the two-day Accountants’ General conference have focused largely on the observations and advice on CAG audits by the Finance Minister and the PAC chairman. Himanshu Upadhyaya wonders if such a meet cannot be evolved into a more citizen-focused and constructive exercise.
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Oct 30 2014
HEALTHCARE FOR THE POOR
Where the boats ferry in good health
HEALTHCARE FOR THE POOR : Where the boats ferry in good health
For the three million plus marginalised people living on the shifting riverine ‘chars’ on the Brahmaputra in Assam, ‘boat clinics’ arrive once every month with basic health supplies, services and education. Ratna Bharali Talukdar reports on this innovative healthcare delivery system.