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 …
A World Bank report on fiscal decentralisation to Panchayati Raj Institutions (pris) has reinforced the argument that decentralised governance in India will not work without genuine fiscal decentralisation. India: Fiscal Decentralization to Rural Governments analysed fiscal decentralisation in Kerala and Karnataka
The Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance lets go of the opportunity to present a bold new vision to conserve the environment through sustainable development. GIVEN the excitement generated by the way in which the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) came to power in May, one could be …
Whatever the new Union minister of Petroleum Mani Shankar Aiyer may have us believe, oil prices are on a roll and will remain cripplingly high. Oil experts say that, unusually, the surge comes during an increase in oil production: there is no shortage. Surging global demand - from a recovering …
This article shows that despite increasing catches by foreign fishing fleets, the economic growth and social benefits from marine resources have not been met for many western African countries that host these fleets. A meta-analysis of changes in catches, market values, exports, imports, employment, access, and domestic supplies in western …
April 23 marked the end of the 300-year-old coal mining industry in France. On that day, the last symbolic block of coal was extracted from the La Houve mine near the town of Creutzwald, abutting the German border. The closure was not abrupt; over the years, several west European coalmines …
In the last week of February this year, the Election Commission office in Delhi sent an urgent request for 30 tonnes of lac for use as sealant during the coming general elections. The request sent officials in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand
the much-touted North East Industrial Policy (neip) of the Union government badly needs a ‘mid-course correction’. This acknowledgement has come from none other than S Jagdeesan, joint secretary in the Union ministry of commerce and industry, at the Northeast Expo 2004 at Delhi. He made some other revelations. For example, …
What makes globalisation undesirable? Globalisation can have positive benefits but if not managed well, it can also be very inequitable. It is exactly because it has not been managed well on several instances that many countries have not benefited, and have even suffered. Some may argue that the process is …
Wherever they exist India's urban elite splash on subsidies B Ashok a regime of pro-rich subsidies have ensured India's urban elites happilly benefit from organised water supply and sewage treatment services, wherever they exist. Water tariffs in India are among the lowest. Let us compare. In the us
Cancun: a paper tiger jurgen maier The strategy of the European Union (eu) did seem to be transformed in the conference centres of Cancun. A coherent eu policy is non-existent. Europe is deeply divided between the American satellites (the uk, Spain and Italy) and the Gaullist camp (France, Germany and …
Even as the government of Angola, Africa, mulls over a second draft of a legislation on land rights, aid and humanitarian organisations point out it could become a source of major future conflict. Tensions over land ownership are on the rise, as millions of Angolans return home after a devastating …
Punjab is at a more advanced stage of development than most other Indian states. However, the remarkable achievements of the state have not been equitable. Amidst prosperity, pockets of deprivation remain among sections and areas. This report is an important research-cum-policy document, which focuses on the current levels of achievement, …
The Sensex stock index has risen by 75 per cent since April this year. The rupee is at a three-year high. Global investment analysts Goldman Sachs predict that India is the fastest growing of the four " BRIC " - Brazil, Russia, India and China - economies expected to it …
the Kyoto Protocol is in trouble. Russia may not ratify it. And even if it does, it's not going to do so anytime soon. That was the message, loud and clear, from the Russian president Vladimir Putin and his aides at the recent World Climate Change Conference held in Moscow, …
ever since Punjab chief minister (cm) Amarinder Singh's performance was rated highly by a popular weekly magazine in August, the state government has gone into a public relations overdrive. One of the main successes, it has claimed in full-page advertisements placed in national dailies, is the diversification of the state's …
