As a country grappling with political and infrastructural problems, there are very few issues that do not evoke extreme, often diametrically opposite, reactions in India. Population control Bills, vaccination policy, farmer income initiatives, river water sharing mechanisms or surrogacy laws—there is no dearth of topics that have triggered controversy, and …
Development in Bangladesh is happening, and despite being one of the most densely populated countries in the world, prosperity is now a possible reality. As one of the top 20 achievers of the Millennium Development Goals, the past few decades have been vital for development in Bangladesh and future related …
Application for Directions filed by Common Cause seeking a seeking a thorough probe into the unlawful interference by the Government in the ongoing investigation by the CBI and the dilution of the status report filed by that organization. The petition relates to the massive scam that occurred in the allocation …
It is “water politics” in Gujarat now. With nearly 8,000 of the 18,000 villages in the state declared drought-affected as many of the urban centres in the Kutch-Saurashtra and the north Gujarat regions are experiencing acute water scarcity, both Congress and the ruling BJP are planning to confront each other …
JAIPUR: Chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said that the state government has obtained the Centre's clearance for constructing a dam across the Parwan river (a tributary of Kali Sindh river) in Baran district. Not missing the opportunity to obtain political mileage out of it, the chief attributed the development …
Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that by 2050, 17 per cent of Bangladesh will have been claimed by rising seas, forcing 20 million people to relocate. In order to reduce the level of vulnerability the country …
For those thinking of tailoring their vote in this weekend's state election around environmental policies - the World Wildlife Fund is providing a colour-coded rating of each of the major party's environmental strategies. Not surprisingly, The Greens score entirely, well, green. The Nationals barely register a rating in the green …
As is now well known, the Government of Orissa and Pohang Steel Company (POSCO), Republic of Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on June 22, 2005 for setting up an Integrated Steel Plant in Orissa, in Jagatsinghpur district, affecting 8 villages of three Gram Panchayats of Kujang Tahsil, i.e. …
In an elaborate cover-up, the Ministry of Mines is working behind the scene to save politicians and industrialists involved in illegal mining in Odisha How do you defeat attempts to punish corruption? For the Union Ministry of Mines the answer is simple: set up a commission and then sabotage it. …
The construction of the Ravi-Tawi Irrigation Canal project from Basantpur to upstream of Ranjit Sagar Dam in Kathua district has become the victim of political differences between two Cabinet ministers, with the state government deciding to seek a fresh legal opinion on the project from the Law Ministry. Official sources …
he Supreme Court, in its fi nal order of October 1991, upheld the compensation settlement with Union Carbide which made the Government of India liable for any shortfall in compensation or any new claims from the Bhopal gas victims. Following this order the Indian Council of Medical Research disbanded its …
Climate change was catapulted to the forefront of the U.S. general election on Thursday after New York's independent mayor threw his weight behind Democratic President Barack Obama, citing his stance on climate change. After refusing to endorse any presidential candidate in the last election in 2008, New York City Mayor …
The office of the Comptroller and Auditor General is an essential instrument for enforcing the accountability of the executive to Parliament. It is wrong, as in the coal blocks and other recent cases, to cast aspersions on the CAG for pointing out the omissions and commissions of the government. The …
The complexity and politicization of climate computer models can hinder communication of their science, uses and limitations. Evidence suggests that information on climate models in US newspapers is declining and that when it appears, it is often within sceptic discourses. Furthermore, model projections are frequently portrayed as probably being inaccurate, …
Buddhadeb Ghosh (“What Made the ‘Unwilling Farmers’ Unwilling? A Note on Singur”, EPW, 11 August 2012) has made important observations that help us understand the Singur story better. However, I fi nd some of his arguments problematic. (Letters)
This new report by MHHDC addresses governance from the point of view of empowerment. It analyses governance of political, economic, and social institutions from the perspective of how people are being empowered in South Asia. This report addresses governance from the point of view of empowerment. It analyses governance of …
Mrinal Gore, veteran politician and leader of the women's movement in Maharashtra, who passed away recently was the quintessential grass-roots leader who could also hold her own in the state legislature. A call from her would mobilise thousands of women on the streets of Mumbai and she tirelessly raised issues …
An ethnography of everyday life in Shivaji Nagar, a predominantly Muslim slum locality in Mumbai, illustrates how its "Muslimness" complicates the residents' access to water, a commodified and politicised amenity. The struggles of local Muslims to access water also involve holding the state accountable through localised "mundane" politics at the …
The Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in southern Sumatra (Indonesia) has been on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 2004. Home to tigers, elephants, and rare Sumatran rhinos, the Park is also home to numerous squatters since the early 1970s. Part of the Park was restored after forcible …
Some states have banned mechanised mining, but the mafia is not ready to obey. Illegal mining is hollowing the riverbed putting at risk the stability and ecology of rivers. This special report in Down To Earth examines the murky business of sand mining. Where there is a river, there is …
