Articles
May 09 2008
AWAY FROM THE 'MAINLAND'
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Connecting to the Northeast
Even in the not-so-remote parts of Assam, you are constantly reminded of the fact that the entire region remains apart. It is evident in many things - its scenic beauty, its poor connectivity, the stories in the media, and the attitudes of young women here, writes Kalpana Sharma
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May 08 2008
LEGISLATION
Regulating domestic work
LEGISLATION : Regulating domestic work

The Domestic Worker's Bill, if passed, will be an important step toward securing the rights of a large chunk of the unorganised workforce. But as with all laws, the real test of this legislation will be in its implementation, writes Anuja Agrawal.

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May 06 2008
KERALA AND PEPSI
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Inaction on panel findings against beverage major
A Pepsi bottling plant in Kerala is extracting excess groundwater and may be subjecting it to contamination risks, a state government study had reported several months ago. Despite meeting five times, a state assembly committee has not acted. M Suchitra digs deeper.
May 05 2008
OPINION: ASSAM'S ADIVASIS
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Long disenfranchised, and struggling for ST status
The struggle of Adivasis in Assam is more or less unique. It is the only state in India where, post Independence, adivasis were given Other Backward Class (OBC) status instead of Scheduled Tribe (ST). Sriram Ananthanarayanan says this, and their struggle, warrants an examination.
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May 04 2008
BUDGET ALLOCATIONS
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What about the other entitlements?
Why does the government not allocate funds to meet all the rights that are protected under the law? Partly, this is because allocations in the Budget each year are made mechanically, without any thought the need for funds, or the rights that ought to be protected, says Videh Upadhyay.
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May 02 2008
OPINION
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The beauty of compromise
The most intractable conflicts in South Asia have remained unresolved because of the inflexibility and dogmatism of the contending parties. It is time for them to move beyond self-justification towards acknowledging and embracing the beauty of compromise, writes Ramachandra Guha.
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May 01 2008
EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE
Social audit of jobs programme in UP
EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE : Social audit of jobs programme in UP
A unique strength of the NREGS is that citizens have the right to oversee its implementation, by direct scrutiny of its records. Sandeep Pandey provides daily updates on the progress of the social audit of the scheme in UP's Unnao district.
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Apr 30 2008
PUBLIC FINANCE/ENVIRONMENT
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CAG: Compensatory afforestation a hoax in M.P.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) carried out a comprehensive performance audit on the diversion of forestland for non-forest purposes in Madhya Pradesh. The result: exposure of significant cases of violations and the virtual non-execution of compensatory afforestation measures. Himanshu Upadhyaya has more.
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Apr 29 2008
MISSING GIRLS
No country for women
MISSING GIRLS : No country for women
Despite a slew of legislative measures to prevent sex determination tests, medical technology continues to be misused, resulting in sex ratios skewed against women. Shoma Chatterji
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Apr 29 2008
ENVIRONMENT
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A hazardous smokescreen of words
Last year, the Ministry of Environment and Forests attempted to dilute the hazardous waste management regulations. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court intervened and the tacky attempt appears to have stalled. Gopal Krishna digs deeper.
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Apr 28 2008
PROTECTING BIG CATS
How not to protect the Gir lions
PROTECTING BIG CATS : How not to protect the Gir lions
Mindless disruption of human settlements in the name of wildlife protection, and the corresponding restrictions on the rights of people living within forests destroys the very wildlife for which it is being done. The story of the Asiatic lions of Gir bears witness to this, writes Nandini K Oza.
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Apr 27 2008
HIMALAYAN TOURISM
Ski village plans hit the skids
HIMALAYAN TOURISM : Ski village plans hit the skids
The Expert Appraisal Committee reviewing plans for a large hill toursim project in Himachal Pradesh has taken a critical view of it. Responding to petitions from locals and conservationists, the EAC called for further studies of the project's likely impacts. Kanchi Kohli reports.
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Apr 25 2008
POLICE FORCES
Neither law nor justice
POLICE FORCES : Neither law nor justice
The health, efficiency, relevance and role of our over-centralised security agencies in an ostensibly federal set up need greater debate. This is all the more important, as the politicians' approach to the nature of violence in the country lacks seriousness, writes K S Subramanian.
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Apr 24 2008
WATER
A two-in-one well
WATER : A two-in-one well
The coastal village of Velneshwar in Maharashtra is home to a unique well that doubles up as a rainwater storage tank. Shree Padre finds out more about this novel dual-purpose structure.
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Apr 23 2008
HOMELESS IN THE CITY
Where is our space?
HOMELESS IN THE CITY : Where is our space?

I could smell Buddham Bai before I could see her. She was covered with layers of clothes once white, laced with the acrid odour of incontinence, of old age. Arpan Tulsyan reports on one woman's poverty and homelessness in the capital.

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Apr 21 2008
NEW HYDEL PROJECTS
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Power to the rich, literally
A new policy framework for hydro-electric power seems to have given confidence to private corporations to enter the sector, with a large number of mega projects lined up. But the same policies raise critical questions in relation to equity and access, writes Shripad Dharmadhikary.
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Apr 20 2008
FARMER SUICIDES
'We cultivate pearls, but our children go hungry'
FARMER SUICIDES : 'We cultivate pearls, but our children go hungry'
Shreekrishna Kalamb's life and musings as a poet-farmer symbolise the agrarian crisis that is wrecking havoc in the Vidarbha countryside. Kalamb ended his life last month, and his grieving daughter now hopes to publish the collection. Jaideep Hardikar reports.
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Apr 19 2008
GLOBALISATION
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Between a rock and a hard place
The nations that taught us that state meddling in economic matters was blasphemy are now nationalising banks, bailing out brigands, and pouring in funds to stop factories from closing down. But a few true believers are still holding out, against all the evidence, writes P Sainath.
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Apr 18 2008
GOING GREEN
A club for change
GOING GREEN : A club for change
US-based environmental group Sierra Club has decided to encourage organisations in India that promote green livelihoods. Can this civil society initiative help the country cut down on its carbon emissions? Darryl D'Monte reports.
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Apr 16 2008
SANTINIKETAN
A creeping insularity
SANTINIKETAN : A creeping insularity
At Santiniketan, Tagore's presence still inhabits many buildings; the keepers of which buildings are often knowledgeable about his legacy. But the place needs to be de-parochialised to make it once more inclusively Indian, writes Ramachandra Guha.
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