Articles
Mar 16 2008
EMBANKMENTS TO DISASTER
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Living under constant threat of eviction
People from several villages in Bihar are opposing the construction of a pair of embankments on the Bagmati river and have stopped work on one of them. Less visible behind their cries is a state administration that seems to be set on continuing a history of trapping villages in flood waters, reports Dinesh Mishra.
Mar 15 2008
AGRICULTURE
Farm policy fails to address key issues
AGRICULTURE : Farm policy fails to address key issues
A two-day seminar held recently in Mumbai brought together policy makers, bureaucrats, social workers, farmers, journalists, activists and researchers. Scrutinising farm policy in depth, they said that policy had failed to address some of the main challenges, reports Aparna Pallavi.
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Mar 12 2008
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
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Getting the roll call wrong
An inspection of the latest electoral rolls released by Bangalore's municipal body reveals that it's riddled with errors, despite recent door-to-door surveys. Kathyayini Chamaraj reports on suggestions made by a joint initiative of citizens groups to correct the anomalies.
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Mar 11 2008
OPINION
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Oh! What a lovely waiver
The UPA government's waiver of farm loans that was announced in the Union budget is no solution to even the immediate crisis let alone long-term agrarian problems. Nothing in this budget will raise farm incomes, writes P Sainath.
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Mar 09 2008
CAN I HAVE MY LUNCH?
Corruption eats into children's meals in Madhya Pradesh
CAN I HAVE MY LUNCH? : Corruption eats into children's meals in Madhya Pradesh
Despite the tall claims made by the state government and an increase in attendance in the schools, children at many places are simply not getting mid-day meals at all, or are getting it in insufficient quantities. Shuriah Niazi did a reality check.
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Mar 06 2008
ICTs
Telecentre musings
ICTs : Telecentre musings
Although telecentres have caught the imagination of government, their adoption is caught in a false pedagogy that treats entitlements as services and citizens as customers who pay service charges. The focus on putting a price on governance must be stemmed, writes Vivek Vaidyanathan.
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Mar 04 2008
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
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What policies can inspire men?
What policies can inspire men to end violence against women? This was the topic of a conference held in New Delhi, recently. The discussion hoped to begin a dialogue on masculinities itself, writes Deepti Priya Mehrotra.
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Mar 03 2008
REVIEW
A day in the life of a dhandewali
REVIEW : A day in the life of a dhandewali

My Mother, The Gharwali, Her Maalak, His Wife (70 minutes) is a play showcasing a day in the life of people who sell sex for a living. Directed by Sushama Deshpande, it is an unselfconscious portrayal of people in ‘sex-work’ by people in ‘sex work’. Charumathi Supraja has more.

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Mar 02 2008
OPINION
The evolution of violence
OPINION : The evolution of violence
Violence in India has followed this macro-to-micro trajectory of Indian modernity. As different forces have shaped modernity, we have shifted from large-scale acts of violence cutting across national boundaries, to state-level violence, to village level violence, writes Rajesh Kasturirangan.
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Feb 29 2008
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
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Successful deterrence? Hardly.
The absence of open conflict between India and Pakistan since both became nuclear states is cited as proof that deterrence works. But there have been unacknowledged conflicts, and just as importantly, a closer look at each instance shows other factors are also at work, writes Firdaus Ahmed.
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Feb 28 2008
HUMAN RIGHTS
Landless and fighting, as ground beneath shifts
HUMAN RIGHTS : Landless and fighting, as ground beneath shifts
Some sections in Kerala are already blaming the land reform law for hurting big industrial projects; meanwhile around 10,000 dalit and adivasi families are locked in a struggle for the original entitlements that never came, reports M Suchitra.
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Feb 26 2008
WATER
A 'Gurukula' for surangas
WATER : A 'Gurukula' for surangas
79-year-old Achyutha Bhat brought surangas to Manila village in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. His passion for the water caves - which help tap and supply water - and his commitment to training newcomers in suranga-digging has been a boost for local farmers, reports Shree Padre.
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Feb 25 2008
HISTORY
Missing chapter in history of universal schooling
HISTORY : Missing chapter in history of universal schooling
The centenary of admitting Dalit children into public schools in Kerala is an opportunity to remember Ayyankali, whose leadership of the movement isn't part of mainstream history. A proper retelling of this history is now the responsibility of a new generation of historians, writes N P Chekkutty.
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Feb 23 2008
WOMEN'S ATTIRE
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Dress code wars continue
Recent remarks by the Karnataka Chief Justice about immodest attire being partially responsible for increasing crimes against women harken back to a history that repeatedly stresses socially sanctioned control over women's choice of dress. Shoma Chatterji reports.
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Feb 22 2008
THE DISABILITY SECTOR
The ability debates
THE DISABILITY SECTOR : The ability debates

Quite a few debates are currently raging in the disability rights movement. Special schools or inclusive education, community based rehabilitation or institutionalised rehabilitation, job reservations or none - Prasanna Kumar Pincha discusses these and other questions.

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Feb 20 2008
SMOKING AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Study: India sitting on tobacco epidemic
SMOKING AND PUBLIC HEALTH : Study: India sitting on tobacco epidemic
Within in the next two years, around 10 lakh people will die because of smoking in India alone, says one of the most comprehensive studies on the habit in the country. India is on the threshold of a tobacco-unleashed epidemic, says Ramesh Menon.
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Feb 19 2008
OPINION
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The crowded centre
Bigotry is increasing as there is no strong action against it. If greatly talented Indians cannot safely and honourably practice their craft in our shared homeland, there is little hope for the rest of us, writes Ramachandra Guha.
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Feb 18 2008
TRIBUTE
Baba Amte: Restless and romantic
TRIBUTE : Baba Amte: Restless and romantic
He was a zamindar by birth and a successful lawyer by training. He charmed and transformed generations of youth and propelled them into social and political activism. Baba Amte, who passed away last week, was a rare combination of sensitivity and courage, writes Ravindra R P.
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Feb 17 2008
HYDEL POWER IN THE NORTH-EAST
Massive dam plans for Arunachal
HYDEL POWER IN THE NORTH-EAST : Massive dam plans for Arunachal
The laying of the foundation stone by the PM for a project that is not even legally cleared is an indication of the mood in which the current dam building spree is being pushed, especially in Arunachal Pradesh, which has most of the untapped hydel potential. Shripad Dharmadhikary reports.
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Feb 16 2008
FILM FESTIVALS
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No reason to be MIFFed
The tenth Mumbai International Flim Festival has just closed. And obviously, the ilm-makers who protested MIFF 2003 have got their message across that they won't tolerate government interference. Now, the films aren't censored any more. Darryl D'Monte reports.