Articles
Aug 30 2014
EYE ON PARIS 2015
Should India tone down its moralistic stance in Paris climate talks?
EYE ON PARIS 2015 : Should India tone down its moralistic stance in Paris climate talks?

Could India’s inflexible and rather aggressive attitude in global climate negotiations jeopardise its domestic mitigation of the real threats from climate change? Darryl D’Monte summarises the key take-aways from a TISS conference that dwelled upon this and related issues.
Aug 28 2014
MAN ON A MISSION
Building a library a day
MAN ON A MISSION : Building a library a day
Entrepreneur and social activist Pradeep Lokhande’s project of setting up a library every day across rural schools in Maharashtra is helping many poor students see the light of a new day. Ramesh Menon reports on this unique initiative.
2
Aug 26 2014
TELANGANA FAMILY SURVEY
Tracking fears, hopes and facts in a new state
TELANGANA FAMILY SURVEY : Tracking fears, hopes and facts in a new state

Widely labelled as the first of its kind, the Intensive Family Survey conducted in Telangana on 19 August gave rise to a range of speculations, and predictably drew its share of brickbats and bouquets. Venugopalrao Nellutla seeks to decipher the real motives and usefulness of the survey.
Aug 25 2014
TRIBUTE
Remembering Ananthamurthy, the critical insider
TRIBUTE : Remembering Ananthamurthy, the critical insider
UR Ananthamurthy's brutally honest stance on Brahmanism, or in fact on any of the subjects that concerned him, has been fiercely debated in his life and death. In a tribute to the recently deceased stalwart of public thinking, Prakash Belawadi seeks to find clues to his inquiring spirit.
2
Aug 23 2014
URBAN ADMINISTRATION
Is the lack of human resources choking your city?
URBAN ADMINISTRATION : Is the lack of human resources choking your city?
Municipal corporations in India have neither any grip on the number of staffers employed and their skillsets nor any mechanism to ascertain these. Madhavi Rajadhyaksha discusses several studies including the ASICS from Janaagraha to expose what ails urban local bodies.
Aug 22 2014
CORRUPTION
Sikkim’s 2400-crore hydro-power scam that no one’s talking of!
CORRUPTION : Sikkim’s 2400-crore hydro-power scam that no one’s talking of!

The Sikkim government’s irregular allocation of hydropower projects to a New Delhi-based power producer and the eventual turn of events have cost the state more than Rs 2400 crore, according to a CAG report. Soumik Dutta reports on the details of the case and other related discrepancies that have surfaced since.
Aug 21 2014
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Indo-Pak talks: Getting past the eyewash
FOREIGN RELATIONS : Indo-Pak talks: Getting past the eyewash
The calling off of talks between India and Pakistan is being attributed to the latter’s interactions with separatists, with an extended reference to incursions along the LoC. Firdaus Ahmed digs beyond the obvious to highlight the more likely cause behind the move.
Aug 19 2014
BANGALORE BLASTS CASE
In conversation with an alleged terrorist
BANGALORE BLASTS CASE : In conversation with an alleged terrorist
Abdul Nasser Madani, a key accused in the 2008 Bangalore serial blasts, waits in vain for his trial to be speeded up after countless adjourned sessions of court. PN Venugopal recounts the circumstances of the case and talks to Madani himself to discover how rules become exceptions in such cases.
Aug 18 2014
CONSTITUTION 121st AMENDMENT
How the latest changes to our Constitution will impact the judiciary
CONSTITUTION 121st AMENDMENT : How the latest changes to our Constitution will impact the judiciary
A quick summary of the recently passed Constitution (121st Amendment) Bill 2014 from PRS Legislative Research outlines the broad changes that it will bring about in the judicial structure of the country.
Aug 16 2014
CONFLICT ZONE REALITIES
Women along the LoC: Battling climate change and landmines
CONFLICT ZONE REALITIES : Women along the LoC: Battling climate change and landmines
For women living along the conflict-ridden borders of Kashmir, caught between cross fire and attempts to check infiltration, the threat of landmines is a constant reality, made worse now by environmental degradation. Chetna Verma’s tales expose their rising vulnerability.
Aug 13 2014
RE-READING SEC 498A
Should our anti-dowry law shield husbands too?
RE-READING SEC 498A : Should our anti-dowry law shield husbands too?

The court decision prohibiting immediate arrests upon complaints of dowry harassment under IPC Section 498A meets the need for safeguards against false charges and enjoys the support of many, including a budding filmmaker. But does it come at a greater risk to genuine victims? Shoma Chatterji explores.
1
Aug 11 2014
FM RAINBOW DIKTAT
35? You’re too old for AIR!
FM RAINBOW DIKTAT : 35? You’re too old for AIR!
In 2013, Prasar Bharati took a decision to stop broadcasts by all contractual radio presenters above the age of 35 on All India Radio’s FM Rainbow channel. Anoo Bhuyan delves into the dynamics behind this surprising move and examines the larger implications of the same.
Aug 11 2014
LAND ACQUISITION ACT
All set to lose out on the gains?
LAND ACQUISITION ACT : All set to lose out on the gains?
News reports and statements from various quarters apparently point towards possible dilution of the new land acquisition law passed in 2013, resulting in less safeguards for affected owners and communities. Kanchi Kohli summarises the key debates around the likely changes.
1
Aug 09 2014
GANGA WATERWAY
Reviving the Ganga, at the cost of its ecology!
GANGA WATERWAY : Reviving the Ganga, at the cost of its ecology!
The Rs 6300-crore plans for development of the Ganga waterway from Allahabad to Haldia should be undertaken only after meticulous examination of its impact on various elements of river ecology. Debadityo Sinha explains why.
Aug 04 2014
NAYIBRAHMIN WOMEN
Struggling against the double whammy of caste and gender
NAYIBRAHMIN WOMEN : Struggling against the double whammy of caste and gender
As part of a study on the socio-economic status of women from the ‘Most Backward Castes’, women from the Nayibrahmin or barber community talk of their lives of oppression and deprivation. Akhileshwari Ramagoud recounts their tales.
Aug 04 2014
URBAN INDEX
What our cities are crying out for
URBAN INDEX : What our cities are crying out for
A recent study from the Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy shows that Indian cities rest on a weak systemic foundation. Madhavi Rajadhyaksha highlights the key findings from the study to argue for a systemic overhaul of urban India.
8
Jul 29 2014
CAG AUDIT IN WEST BENGAL
Clearance revoked, but you can still have the forest land!
CAG AUDIT IN WEST BENGAL : Clearance revoked, but you can still have the forest land!
A CAG audit report finds that despite the revocation of clearance for forest land diverted to a public sector power company, the land continues to be used by them. Himanshu Upadhyaya details this and other findings, which show the gloomy picture of forest governance in West Bengal.
Jul 28 2014
WATER CONCERNS
Breaking the myth behind Coastal Thermal Power Plants
WATER CONCERNS : Breaking the myth behind Coastal Thermal Power Plants

It is often believed that coal-based power plants near the coast, by virtue of their proximity to the sea, do not create any pressure on water resources. Shripad Dharmadhikary’s visit to Krishnapattanam in Andhra Pradesh and parts of Tamil Nadu exposes the fallacy in that.
Jul 23 2014
PORT REDEVELOPMENT
Mumbai in the dock
PORT REDEVELOPMENT : Mumbai in the dock

The redevelopment of port land in Mumbai, dominated by the grandiose proposals of Nitin Gadkari, now rests primarily on the wishes of the Mumbai Port Trust, while it ignores the real needs of the city at large. Darryl D’Monte exposes the contradictions.
Jul 23 2014
PDS ALTERNATIVES
If you want food security, why not have food coupons?
PDS ALTERNATIVES : If you want food security, why not have food coupons?
The erstwhile UPA government’s Food Security Act, now set to be implemented by the present government, could mean unendurable strain for the country’s public distribution framework. P V Rajeev spells out better alternatives to explore.