Governance And Institutions
NGOs without accountability
In an order affecting thousands of non-government organisations (NGOs) across the country, the Delhi high court on Tuesday directed the Union government not to release any more grants to them until they produce the certificate of utilisation of previous grants given to them.
Most dams have not helped in checking floods
Report: Damodar Valley Corporation and Hirakud projects were the last two of the large dams constructed with the primary aim of controlling floods, claims the draft report prepared by the World Commission on Dams (WCD), set up by the World Bank. The agency was set up with the primary aim …
Medha Patkar on indefnite fast from today
The Narmad Bachao Andolan chief Medha Patkar has decided to sit on an indefinite fast here from Wednesday, in protest against the recent Supreme Court judgement allowing the construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat, with its height intact at 90 metres.
Ahmedabad-based SRISTI bags Asian Innovation Award
A city-based voluntary organisation, 'Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Innovation' (SRISTI), which assists rural innovators, has won the Far Eastern Economic Review's Gold Asian Innovation Award. Founded by Prof Anil Gupta of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA), the Society has been active for the …
Govt set up NGO watchdog
An inspectorate is being set up by the ministry of social justice and empowerment to monitor the working of the government supported NGOs. It is expected to be a permanent body. This was disclosed by the minister of state for social justice and empowerment, Mrs Maneka Gandhi, at the Parliamentary …
World accolade comes to Tilonia
The Barefoot College, Tilonia, in Rajasthan has been conferred the Germany-based 2000 Nuclear-Free Future Solutions Award. The Barefoot College, founded 29 years ago by the noted social worker Snjit Roy - better known as Bunker Roy - has been chosen for the 10,000 dollars award for its remarkable work in …
Villages make their own kinds of schools
Jamudi, a village on the Amarkantak-Shahdol road in Shahdol dirstrict of Madhya Pradesh has risen to fame for its unique educational experiment. It houses Shram Niketan Sansathan (SNS), set up by Shyam Bahadur Namra, a progressive Hindi poet and his wife, Anuradha Singh, who launched Apna School Pariyojana in the …
Govt. aims at total literacy by 2005
CM: The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Monday said the Goverment would leave no stone unturned in achieving the goal of total literacy by 2005 A.D. and stressed the need for carrying on the literacy programme as a people's movement.
AP govt for toal literacy by 2005
In a bid to achieve the goal of total literacy by the year 2005, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to set a Total Literacy Mission and start a statewide week-long programme for Monday next, to bring all the school dropouts of this year, back to the school. The State …
'Pathshala' project's second phase to be launched
The Rajasthan Government will soon launch the second phase of the experimental Rajiv Gandhi Golden Jubilee Pathshalas in the State. A pet project of the present Government headed by Mr. Ashok Gehlot, the Rajiv Gandhi Pathshalas have 5.3 lakh students enrolled with them now.
Cauvery authority meeting today
The first meeting of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA), which was set up nearly two years ago following much controversy among the four basic States especially Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, has been convened here on Friday by the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee.
7-member panel set up on water projects
The Central Water Comission has constituted a seven -member high-level committee of experts headed by its member C D Koche to facilitate the early clearance and implementations of Inchampalli and Polavaram projects for utilisation of Godavari waters.
The roots of power
Kerala is showing other states an alternative route to development that allows the people in a locality to set and execute their own priorities, rather than depend on politicians and officials. The People's Plan Campaign, an experiment of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in decentralisation, has ushered in a …
NGO helps UP villagers break free from penury
Dasheri village in Kakori block of Lucknow is a model village where residents have been able to break free by building self-help groups. More than 15 to 20 women from the village have been sensitised to form a self help group for tapping the areas of education, health and economics. …
UN initiative to eradicate poverty
The United Nations treamed up for the first time with world financial institutions to back moves to cut extreme poverty in half over the next 15 years.
UP aims at 100 pc literacy by 2005
The Uttar Pradesh government is launching a campaing to bring 50 lakh non-school going children in the age group of 6 to 14 years, to the fold of primary education under a World Bank-funded project.
Right to information Act
Goa shows the way : New Delhi is keen to see how it is working and villagers too are enthusiastic about what Goa's innovative Right to Information Act can bring them. Goa had shown the way to the rest of India by passing a Right to Information Act and, a …
Pressure groups warned on public scrutiny
Greenpeace and other pressure groups must open up to public scrutiny or risk losing all credibility, a government-sponsored think tank warns. The Foreign Policy Centre, whose president is Robin Cook, chief foreign minister, said that London's Mayday riots, the siege of Seattle and the row over Brent Spar have robbed …
36 per cent water sources found contaminated
The date collected during the clean drinking water campaign have proved the tall claims of the health department false. According to the report 36 per cent of the water sources in Jabalpur have contaminated water.
How to beat drought
Learn it from villagers: Just three months ago, in March, most baodis (village ponds) and handpumps in this drought-hit tribal district of Madhya Pradesh were dry. The community effort involved deepening 596 baodis and digging wells through voluntary labour.
