The Global Gender Gap Index annually benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions (Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment). It is the longest-standing index tracking the progress of numerous countries’ efforts towards closing these gaps over time since …
In 1855, the British government decided to embank the Damodar river in order to prevent flooding. With the construction of watertight embankments on the Damodar, the flood control picture started getting "brighter'. William Willcocks, a British irrigation expert came to India in the 1920s. In a series of lectures, he …
Corruption is not confined to earthworks and flood control measures alone. It is all over and all embracing. Many politicians today face charges of corruption in Bihar. The names of a few are given below. In the wake of CBI investigations into the Rs 950-crore fodder scam, Laloo Prasad Yadav …
The entire state is today held in thrall by criminals and private armies. The river can erode values, not just soil. Corruption in the management of the environment can corrupt society. A case to note is the infamous Bhagalpur "blindings' in Bihar. In the early 1980s, the Bihar police blinded …
Why have flood-control measures failed? You must understand that the water comes from Nepal. We must stop it there. Embankments were constructed as a secondary measure. But the primary aim of the government has been to construct the Barahkshetra dam in Nepal, which will help control the water release. Why …
How and why did the rivers curse Bihar? It all began with a group of young politicians in the 1950s. To them goes the credit for pushing the idea of building embankments. This was done in the name of trying to tame the rivers of the state. In the 200 …
The birth of chaos Measures to control floods have backfired in Bihar. Flood related damages and flood prone areas have only increased since independence, and so has corruption. The two are closely related I n many ways the state of Bihar is unique. It is resource rich, but the people …
Bihar is a unique state. It was the seat of learning, culture and civilisation. As far back as 326 bc , when Alexander the Great came to India, Bihar was the regional superpower. Rather than engage the united troop strength of the Magadha Empire, the Greeks preferred to station a …
In his address to parliament, president K R Narayanan said that the new government's development strategy will rest on a 'triad': the government will provide a strong policy and regulatory leadership; the private sector will bring dynamism and efficiency to the economy in a competitive environment; and, local democratic institutions …
What do Digvijay Singh, Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kumar Chamling have in common? A simple answer would be that they are all chief ministers. But they have more in common than just that. Some time back, in February to be precise, we put all three on the cover of Down …
"In framing a government to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this; you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself''.
F inally , the government has decided to hike the price of diesel. The timing was politically right. There was no political cost attached to it. As the last round of polling ended and the counting of votes began the government decided to act. The price of diesel went up …
WITH September 17, the next date for the Supreme Court (SC) hearing on the air pollution case in Delhi, approaching, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has suddenly done a volte-face. Despite the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas (MPNG) having submitted an affidavit to SC, stating that it will …
IN GERMONY Sweedan and the Netherlands, protecting and caring for the environment has become part of the culture. This high level of public awareness pushes the politicians and the industry towards looking for genuine changes in policies and laws. By contrast, it is just a greenwash here in France. The …
It is indeed amazing. It was only four months ago, in April, that the Ministry of Petroleum was telling the Supreme Court that it is not possible for it to supply high quality diesel. And that all it could do is to supply diesel with a sulphur content of 0.25 …
Health and drinking water: We will spare no efforts to ensure that potable drinking water is available to all villages in the next five years. Age-old and traditional methods of water utilisation, in both rural and urban areas, will receive urgent attention. Environment: We will establish an appropriate legal framework …
Why is it that no political party takes environmental problems seriously? It was under the Congress party that the environment department was created, and then the environment ministry was formed. It was the Congress party that considered environment an issue related to the people, and it has been the Congress …
In the run-up to the elections in India, a number of trivial issues have come to occupy the political landscape, marginalising fundamental issues that concern the common man. One such issue is the way we manage the natural environment. The days when environment was all about beautiful birds and butterflies …
Politicians do more to deplete water than provide people a sustained supply At the recent meeting of the World Water Commission in Stockholm - set up last year with the support of several governments and United Nations' agencies - to develop a vision for water management in the next century, …
