The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
Chandigarh, February 12 Gram panchayats have been actively involved to improve the functioning of public distribution system (PDS). Panchayat members would verify the entries of items of PDS made in the stock registers of the fair price shops of the State Food and Supplies Department. A spokesman of the Food …
Chandigarh, February 12 The Haryana Health Department has operationalised 5,086 village health sanitation committees (VHSC) to bridge the gap between demand and supply of quality and timely health care services and strengthen decentralised health planning. Haryana Commissioner and Secretary, Health, Navraj Sandhu said these committees have been operationalised by giving …
No small sachets, no video-on-wheels, no wall paintings. Rural 2.0 is not just about selling soaps or colas in flexible sizes at lower prices. It is about creating a market from scratch by first developing it, solving its basic problems, figuring out what it needs and then designing a product …
Back in the 20th century, when India had villages, there were several popular films that showed villages in a contemporary light. Well, somewhat. While Indian cinema was urban from its very beginning, there were several films of immense popularity that were, in many ways, a statement of the presence of …
Recurrent droughts and floods coupled with mass poverty, chronic unemployment and pervasive malnutrition are the major challenges before India. The Union government usually responds by complaining about truant rains and doles out funds in an arbitrary manner. As an alternative, I propose a nationwide watershed development programme through the statutory …
optimism is a great friend but a bad guide. The Asian Social Forum (asf) meeting in Hyderabad, India, deliberately avoided this truism while proclaiming grandly: "Another world is possible". Another world is definitely possible. In fact it exists. The numerous communities that gathered there, with their own stories of survival …
It has all the elements of a slugfest among eminent personalities in the public sphere. It would have made great entertainment; only it has to do with education. Science education, actually, in village schools with poor facilities. In an August 8 order, Amita Sharma, secretary (elementary education) to the government …
"My idea of village swaraj is that it is a complete republic... The government of the village will be conducted by a panchayat of five persons annually elected by the adult villagers... this panchayat will be the legislature, judiciary and executive combined... Here there is perfect democracy based on individual …
it was a change from despair to hope. Concerted efforts of the villagers of Alwar district in Rajasthan converted a dried up rivulet into a river, flowing throughout the year and benefiting as many as 70 villages. The first step to revive the rivulet
The Tarun Bharat Sangh was formed in Jaipur in 1975. The members came to Bheekampura in 1985 and surveyed the region for two years. It was then that they decided to undertake watershed development in the nearby villages. The organisation has since come a long way, involving itself in many …
In India, recent micro-experiments clearly show that environmental regeneration is possible if native wisdom and local decision-making is respected. Towards Green Villages sets out an environmental improvement strategy that is based on real life experiences of grassroots work in which people have improved their environment together with their economy. Three …
