Articles
Oct 23 2013
DEEP TALK WITH RAMACHANDRA GUHA
When riots are tools, where does secularism stand?
DEEP TALK WITH RAMACHANDRA GUHA : When riots are tools, where does secularism stand?
As the spectre of communal violence raises its ugly head yet again in the build-up towards elections, India Together talks to Ramachandra Guha to explore the threats to the secular imagination in India and the hopes for religious pluralism in the democracy.
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Oct 22 2013
BRAI BILL 2013
Biosafety: Who is liable for damages?
BRAI BILL 2013 : Biosafety: Who is liable for damages?
The BRAI Bill 2013 purports to uphold the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety but completely overlooks a critical sub-protocol that provides for liability and redress in case of damage to biodiversity. Shalini Bhutani explains why that defeats the very purpose of the Bill.
Oct 17 2013
WILDLIFE PROTECTION
Policy indifference threatens to make the GIB extinct
WILDLIFE PROTECTION : Policy indifference threatens to make the GIB extinct

A fragile grassland ecosystem combined with skewed thrust on conservation of forest lands vis-a-vis the arid dry grasslands paints a bleak future for the Great Indian Bustard, whose numbers are fast dwindling. Malini Shankar reports.

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Oct 17 2013
ARMY CULTURE
Soldiers, not servants
ARMY CULTURE : Soldiers, not servants
The army would like to point to low morale and push for higher pay. But as far as the troops are concerned, morale may have more to do with the way they are treated by officers, and this is what needs changing, writes Firdaus Ahmed.
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Oct 16 2013
WOMEN SARPANCHS
Competing effectively in MP panchayats
WOMEN SARPANCHS : Competing effectively in MP panchayats

Panchayats of Madhya Pradesh provide reservation of up to 50 percent for women, but the participation of women in governance has gone beyond such new roles. Shirish Khare reports on how women leaders are transforming the very traditions and symbols of grassroots politics.
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Oct 15 2013
SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
Greening the finance sector
SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS : Greening the finance sector
With the paradigm of projecting profits as the sole end of business steadily on the wane, Darryl D'Monte reports on developments in the Indian financial sector that indicate a growing thrust on sustainability and social responsibility.
Oct 10 2013
COMPANIES ACT 2013
One Person Companies: Speed without effective brakes?
COMPANIES ACT 2013 : One Person Companies: Speed without effective brakes?
The introduction of One Person Companies in the 2013 Companies Act eyes fast economic gains; however, as Shankar Jaganathan points out, it also calls for a more considered approach and provision of safeguards to protect the smaller creditors and employees.
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Oct 10 2013
CHILD VISION
Tackling preventable blindness through screening in schools
CHILD VISION : Tackling preventable blindness through screening in schools

Various independent studies and research reveal close to 20 per cent of students across India suffering from some degree of visual impairment. A new initiative from the Nayonika Eye Care Charitable Trust seeks to correct this through the combined efforts of a wider network.

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Oct 09 2013
WILDLIFE PROTECTION
Why poaching still thrives in India
WILDLIFE PROTECTION : Why poaching still thrives in India

Wildlife experts across India stress the need for more stronger cases backed by scientific evidence and administrative efficiency, speedy trials and effective prosecution of the guilty. Bosky Khanna reports.

Oct 07 2013
THE POWER OF CINEMA
The film that changed Afroza's life
THE POWER OF CINEMA : The film that changed Afroza's life
Flickering Angels, a moving documentary on the lives of children of imprisoned parents in West Bengal, helps a child of an illegal immigrant caught in tragic circumstances to go back to her homeland. Shoma A Chatterji dwells on the reformative capacity of cinema.
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Oct 04 2013
ENERGY CRUNCH
Private investment not a panacea for all ills
ENERGY CRUNCH : Private investment not a panacea for all ills
India's energy set-up requires a major overhaul in order to keep up with the growth imperative, but there may be no quick-fix solutions. Ashok Sreenivas and Sreekumar N outline the critical areas of concern that call for focused solutions beyond the ambit of private investment.
Oct 03 2013
NREGS IN JHARKHAND
Fewer takers for NREGS after long wage delays
NREGS IN JHARKHAND : Fewer takers for NREGS after long wage delays
Less than 100 days of work and chronic delays in payment - in continuing focus on NREGS implementation across states, Himanshu Upadhyaya summarises the findings of a recent performance review by the CAG of the scheme in Jharkhand.
Oct 01 2013
PRISON DIARY
A childhood lost behind bars
PRISON DIARY : A childhood lost behind bars
The 2012 crime records from NCRB show nearly 1800 children jailed by circumstance, most often with their mothers, across Indian prisons. Ruchika Nigam takes a look at the lives of these innocent prisoners and argues for vigilant implementation of relevant suggestions to ensure their basic rights.
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Sep 30 2013
HEALTH DEFINITIONS
To deliver on health, understand it first
HEALTH DEFINITIONS : To deliver on health, understand it first
Medical services are today driven by needs and definitions out of sync with the realities of the masses. In conversation with Pamela Philipose, health activist Imrana Qadeer argues why health should be seen through the prism of the various structural components of society - caste, class and gender.
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Sep 27 2013
'ART' OF RESISTANCE
Protests get creative in Kashmir
'ART' OF RESISTANCE : Protests get creative in Kashmir
Forced, politicised moves to spread the message of peace and love through high profile cultural events may fall flat on the ground in Kashmir, but the Valley is certainly witnessing newer, creative and artistic modes of resistance against issues of concern. Freny Maneksha reports.
Sep 25 2013
IMPACT REPORTS
Can accreditation ensure accountability?
IMPACT REPORTS : Can accreditation ensure accountability?
The decision of the MoEF to allow only organisations accredited by the Quality Council of India to carry out environment impact assessment of interventions might sound promising, but is likely to achieve little. Kanchi Kohli discusses the inherent flaws in such notification.
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Sep 23 2013
LAND ACQUISITION ACT
One hand gives, the other takes away!
LAND ACQUISITION ACT : One hand gives, the other takes away!
The new Land Acquisition law passed recently by the government had several promising provisions, most of which have unfortunately been nullified either by diluting conditions or other loopholes in the act. Shripad Dharmadhikary looks at all that has made this a lost opportunity.
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Sep 23 2013
STATE FAILURE
Bharat Nirman: The numbers don't lie
STATE FAILURE : Bharat Nirman: The numbers don't lie
The claims of the second phase of the Bharat Nirman campaign, glorifying the achievements of the UPA in various sectors, ring hollow when one looks at the crises afflicting the economy. Shambhu Ghatak discusses this in the light of findings of the CAG's financial audit of the Union Government Accounts.
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Sep 20 2013
NEW AGE CINEMA
Infusing sensuality into a Tagore classic
NEW AGE CINEMA : Infusing sensuality into a Tagore classic
Filmmaker Q's reinterpretation of Rabindranath Tagore's Tasher Desh is a bold experiment, not only in format but also content, as it seeks to layer the classic satire with unprecedented connotations of sexuality and gender issues. Shoma A Chatterji reviews the film.
Sep 19 2013
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Helping businesses help society
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE : Helping businesses help society
The Companies Act 2013 has extended its scope to provide norms for the organisation and functioning of not-for-profit ventures. Why not, then, use the same or similar legislation to create a conducive environment for social enterprises, asks Shankar Jaganathan.
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