Articles
Oct 22 2007
PLANTATIONS IN TRIPURA
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Tripura taps the rubber economy
A persistent push to develop large-scale rubber plantations as a livelihood alternative to slash-and-burn cultivation by tribals has resulted in a major economic upswing in Tripura. With market prices for rubber well above sustenance levels, the future looks bright too. Ratna Bharali Talukdar reports.
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Oct 19 2007
GOVERNMENT
NREGA battling cancerous corruption in Orissa
GOVERNMENT : NREGA battling cancerous corruption in Orissa
Rs.500 crores of Orissa's funds for rural employment guarantees for 2006-7 appear to have been siphoned off by the state bureaucracy. This money would have brought 10 lakh poorest families two subsistence meals for four-six months, at a time of hunger and starvation deaths. Parshuram Rai has more.
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Oct 19 2007
ACCESS TO SCHOOLING
What price, education?
ACCESS TO SCHOOLING : What price, education?
Hundreds of farming families are making a beeline to Karanja from surrounding districts in the hope of a better education for their children. Although this has brought financial as well as a other problems, these families feel they have little choice. Aparna Pallavi reports.
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Oct 16 2007
FOREST LAND USE
New facts emerge in McLeodganj case before CEC
FOREST LAND USE : New facts emerge in McLeodganj case before CEC
Recently, the Central Empowered Committee once again heard the strange case of a hotel coming up on land sanctioned for a parking lot and bus stand in Himachal Pradesh. Kanchi Kohli reports on the many ways in which officials are trying to get this illegal use regularised.
Oct 15 2007
OPINION: NUCLEAR OPTIONS
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Unacceptable underside of 'deterrence by punishment'
India's doctrine of 'deterrence by punishment' is least credible in the most likely scenario of Pakistani nuclear use. But the tenets of this doctrine are not above revision, and times of relative peace offer a better opportunity to find the way forward, says Firdaus Ahmed.
Oct 13 2007
OPINION
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'Incredible India' right here at home
The week-long 'Incredible India' campaign in New York aimed at boosting the vibrant image of an emerging, powerful India at 60 and showcasing its diversity. But the real action was at home, writes P Sainath.
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Oct 12 2007
SEX EDUCATION
Attitudes to sex need healthy injection of science
SEX EDUCATION : Attitudes to sex need healthy injection of science

Why would the Government of India deny a job to an individual who carries a mutation in the DNA? There is prejudice in the Indian society against individual perceived as "sexual anomalies". Vaijayanti Gupta initiates an educational discussion on the biology of sex and sexual orientations.

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Oct 11 2007
REHABILITATION
Rigorous road to rehabilitation
REHABILITATION : Rigorous road to rehabilitation
In the 'village of widows' near the Line of Control, women had become accustomed to living off aid and alms. But in 2001, a group of women, part of Athwaas, decided to try to make things better, and something that was impossible to contemplate even six years ago, has now happened. Ashima Kaul reports.
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Oct 10 2007
OPINION
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Manufacturing consent through selective knowledge
The World Bank's much touted 'knowledge' products are coming out of a flawed process. The bank hires highly paid consultants who are mostly directed through a system of incentives towards arriving at a pre-determined policy consensus. Information and experiences that run counter to the consensus are ignored. Shripad Dharmadhikary on the implications for India.
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Oct 09 2007
PROSTITUTION
Community work making brothels safer
PROSTITUTION : Community work making brothels safer

In brothels of West Bengal, there is high awareness of the risk to HIV. Women are not taking any chances. Response to the newly introduced female condom is picking up. Sumita Thapar reports.

Oct 08 2007
IN PICTURES: 2 OCTOBER RALLY
Our food, our farmers
IN PICTURES: 2 OCTOBER RALLY : Our food, our farmers
The Association for India’s Development (AID) celebrated Gandhi Jayanti (2 October) this year with an “Our Food, Our Farmers” global vigil organised at 18 locations across India and 39 locations in the United States. An IN-PICTURES feature.
Oct 07 2007
OPINION
The ideas of the Indians
OPINION : The ideas of the Indians
Contemporary trends in Indian society, business and statecraft are ultimately grounded in long standing intuitions about nature and culture that permeate Indian society. If public policy began from this understanding, very different notions of justice might emerge, writes Rajesh Kasturirangan.
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Oct 06 2007
EDUCATION FUNDING
Tripura focuses on education for tribals
EDUCATION FUNDING : Tripura focuses on education for tribals

A wide range of programmes and strong financial support have helped Tripura raise access to education for its tribal population. Ratna Bharali Talukdar on the many incentives that anchor the state's efforts to bridge the learning gap between tribals and non-tribals.
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Oct 05 2007
SHIP-BREAKING
Setting a precedent for trafficking hazardous waste
SHIP-BREAKING : Setting a precedent for trafficking hazardous waste
By every rule in the book, this ship, carrying asbestos waste and radioactive elements, should not be in Indian waters, let alone be beached. And yet, despite well-premised objections, the central government persuaded the Supreme Court to rule that Blue Lady be dismantled at Alang. Gopal Krishna was a petitioner in the litigation.
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Oct 04 2007
DEVELOPMENT PROFILE
Uneasy quiet on the POSCO front
DEVELOPMENT PROFILE : Uneasy quiet on the POSCO front
A large development or industrial project, stiff people's protests, takeover of vast tracts of land, widespread environmental and social impacts, and more. All of these realities have manifested themselves in government clearances for the POSCO project in Orissa. Manshi Asher and Kanchi Kohli analyse the current situation.
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Oct 03 2007
OPINION
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Is this sports, or false patriotism?
Both India and Pakistan played well in the Twenty20 tournament, and played in a positive frame of mind. Why then should a mainstream media channel insist on harping on the rivalry between two countries that are making tentative attempts at peace, asks Kalpana Sharma.
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Oct 01 2007
SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES
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SEZs: A history of injustice and abuse
The origins of today's law for land acquisition for SEZs act can be traced to 1824, when the British colonial power felt the need to codify the undisguised forcible seizure of land. While colonial rule has long gone, the unjust application of the principle of eminent domain remains, writes Kannan Kasturi.
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Sep 29 2007
DEVELOPMENT
A toolkit for development reports
DEVELOPMENT : A toolkit for development reports
In 11 of the poorest districts in the country, a citizens' audit of development, modeled on an earlier study of education, helps residents themselves easily identify how their areas fare on key measures. Rukmini Banerjee and Shanti Jagannathan introduce PAHELI, the People's Audit of Health, Education and Livelihoods.
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Sep 28 2007
HIV/AIDS CHILDREN
Their secret status and a risky schooling
HIV/AIDS CHILDREN : Their secret status and a risky schooling
HIV-positive children are being thrown out of school in Uttar Pradesh by insensitive teachers and parents alike. Many parents are afraid to let schools know that their children are positive, and the state's machinery has failed to raise any awareness, as a major study has shown. Puja Awasthi sounds the warning bells.
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Sep 27 2007
PUSHING SEZs
Paying no heed to groundswell of opinion
PUSHING SEZs : Paying no heed to groundswell of opinion
A range of criticisms raised at a recent seminar in Mumbai are a sufficient indication of the extent to which SEZs are being pushed as a government policy without any public consultation on their pros and cons. The seminar, on SEZs and their implications for urban planning, was held at the Rachana Sansad School of Architecture. Darryl D'Monte reports.
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