Articles
Oct 16 2012
RTI IN ACTION
Rules to restrict rights
RTI IN ACTION : Rules to restrict rights
Governments have been changing the rules of the RTI Act, trying all sorts of things to dilute its provisions. Most of these are done without consulting the public. Navya P K reports.
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Oct 02 2012
INFRASTRUCTURE
Public private prank
INFRASTRUCTURE : Public private prank
It is a sign of trouble when experienced players sit out and fly-by-night-type operators take control. In the case of public infrastructure, this is exactly what is happening. We should ask why, writes Sunita Narain.
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Sep 30 2012
FRACKING
Shallow understanding of deep risks
FRACKING : Shallow understanding of deep risks
Shale gas and oil reserves are being eyed hungrily by an industry that is looking at the sunset of conventional reserves. But fracking is full of risks, and we must address those first, writes Shripad Dharmadhikary.
Sep 30 2012
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Struggling to go beyond the basics
LEARNING OUTCOMES : Struggling to go beyond the basics
Sikkim leads the nation in per-student expenditure by quite some distance, but bureaucratic hurdles to progress common elsewhere are to be found here too. Himanshu Upadhyaya reports.
Sep 14 2012
FLOODED AND HUNGRY
Swallowed by the river
FLOODED AND HUNGRY : Swallowed by the river

Thousands of Mishings find themselves in makeshift homes along the embankments of Majuli island. The river has destroyed more than their lands and homes. Now, their very lives are at risk. Ratna Bharali Talukdar reports.

Sep 14 2012
RTI APPOINTMENTS
SC orders revamp of RTI regime
RTI APPOINTMENTS : SC orders revamp of RTI regime
RTI activists across the country will be cheered by the apex court's order to make transparent appointments to the posts of Information Commissioners, and recognise the quasi-judicial nature of their functions. Krishnaraj Rao writes.
Sep 12 2012
MINING IN SENSITIVE REGIONS
Different reef, same barrier
MINING IN SENSITIVE REGIONS : Different reef, same barrier
As the Mundra project of the Adani group moves ahead relentlessly in Gujarat, a new front opens up in the company's troubles with environmental regulations, in faraway Australia. Kanchi Kohli reports.
Sep 10 2012
GOVERNMENT
Tamilnadu's striking progress in welfare
GOVERNMENT : Tamilnadu's striking progress in welfare
The better education and health outcome indicators in the southern states compared to the north, has been acknowledged for a long time. And yet to see it with one’s own eyes really drives home the poin,t say Reetika Khera.
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Sep 10 2012
SECURITY POLICY
Reaching beyond its brief
SECURITY POLICY : Reaching beyond its brief
Outsourcing the policy-making function is bad enough, but the government should certainly not have allowed trespass on its domain by the Naresh Chandra Task Force, writes Firdaus Ahmed.
Sep 08 2012
WOMEN AND SOCIETY
The way ahead for women
WOMEN AND SOCIETY : The way ahead for women
However imperfect, the National Commission for Women should not be disbanded. Instead, it needs to be debated and held accountable to its original mandate, writes writes Kalpana Sharma.
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Sep 04 2012
FOOD SECURITY
Making the hungry wait
FOOD SECURITY : Making the hungry wait
The evidence of wide-spread hunger and malnutrition is overwhelming and everywhere, and yet so little is done to address this most fundamental issue, writes Darryl D'Monte.
Aug 26 2012
NEWS ON RADIO
The people's airwaves, but controlled
NEWS ON RADIO : The people's airwaves, but controlled

Seventeen years after the Supreme Court ruled that the government cannot restrict content on radio, it remains impossible for independent news to be aired on radio channels. Navya P K reports.

Aug 23 2012
INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS
Complaints? Who's listening?
INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS : Complaints? Who's listening?
Six years ago the Supreme Court issued a detailed order listing the steps needed to insulate police work from politics, and to make it more accountable. But the progress since then has been slow. Navya P K reports.
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Aug 20 2012
INTERNAL SECURITY
A secure minority, for a secure nation
INTERNAL SECURITY : A secure minority, for a secure nation
The dark clouds gathered since the early nineties have not quite dissipated. Inevitably so, since the actions that should have been taken were never taken up, writes Firdaus Ahmed.
Aug 15 2012
VEHICLE FUELS
CNG isn't really the answer
VEHICLE FUELS : CNG isn't really the answer
Compressed Natural Gas is by no means a clear cut winner in the race to find a clean burning fuel for our vehicles. The real solution is in promoting public transport, and better design of our cities, writes Madhav Pai.
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Aug 13 2012
TORTURE
Maimed by the state, quietly
TORTURE : Maimed by the state, quietly
Amidst a culture of silence and media inattention, torture is easy to find in the security hot zones of India. A new film bares the ugly truth. Freny Manecksha reports.
Aug 13 2012
FLOODED OUT
A permanent address at the river's edge
FLOODED OUT : A permanent address at the river's edge

Families in Majuli island are used to the vagaries of the Brahmaputra. But the floods this year have been particularly harsh on them. Ratna Bharali Talukdar reports.

Aug 09 2012
EDUCATION BUDGETS
Funding at a snail's pace
EDUCATION BUDGETS : Funding at a snail's pace
All the increased budgets for education in the country may not amount to much, if the States don't move the money fast enough to the intended uses, which is not happening now. Himanshu Upadhyaya reports.
Jul 31 2012
OPINION
The saffronisation of green
OPINION : The saffronisation of green
The sometimes nebulous connection between green and saffron, or Hindu chauvinism is the topic of a new book, with a major part covering Anna Hazare's work in Ralegan Siddhi. Darryl D'Monte connects the dots.
Jul 30 2012
CULTURE THERAPY
A life beyond prison
CULTURE THERAPY : A life beyond prison
Nigel Akkara, once a criminal and a prisoner, decided to turn his life around, helped by the culture therapy program of Alakananda Roy. Shoma Chatterji reports.