Judgment of the Supreme Court in the matter of In Re: Zudpi Jungle Lands. A batch of applications involved a peculiar issue concerning the situation prevailing in the six districts of eastern Vidarbha region namely Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli. The issue pertains to the status of the …
Several women's activist groups and research organisations have decided to step up their agitation against the proposed amendment to the Maternity Benefits Act, which seeks to limit maternity leave and related benefits to two children. This follows the dismissal of their objections by the Union deputy minister for health and …
The Orissa government and the house of Tatas, who jointly own the Rs 20-crore Chilika Aquatic Farms Ltd (CAFL), have agreed to move their operations away from the lake. The decision was reached at a meeting of top officials from both sides in December in Bhubaneshwar. The officials decided to …
When the Karnataka government announced substantial reservation of seats for the "backward and the oppressed classes" in the state's panchayats in 1992, it was welcomed by most experts and analysts. They felt grassroots democracy in India would flourish if the weaker sections of society were guaranteed representation. However, when panchayat …
IN DURGAPUR village in Haryana, about 200 improved chulhas were installed in 1986-87. Within a few months, almost all of them were dismantled by the women. Asks Chameli, one of the beneficiaries, "Who has the patience or the time to chop the wood into small pieces to suit the new …
DOES THE ago-old belief in Ganga's incorruptibility hold water? Yes, says environmental engineer D S Bhargava of Roorkee University, who believes that this is what has led to apathy towards the Ganaga. Unlike other rivers, the Ganga's water doesn't putrefy even after long periods of storage. Unfortunately, very few, if …
BESIDES farming, the Jyapus also engage in activities such as pottery, weaving, tile and brick-making. Weaving is an important activity, as the Jyapus traditionally prefer to wear home-spun clothes. Carpentry and masonry are also popular. But a gradual transition is taking place. Many of the younger generation are moving away …
DESPITE the crores of rupees spent on the Ganga Action Plan , the river is still not clean. This, says D S Bhargava of Roorkee University, is because the authorities have overlooked the river's self-purifying ability, besides using faulty effluent standards and ignoring dumping of untreated sewage into the river. …
Who organised this meeting and what was the specific purpose of this convention? The meeting was convened by the Global Infrastructure Research Foundation (GIRF) of Japan -- a body set up 10 years ago, with the Japanese government and business community as members, to sponsor very large infrastructures spanning countries …
A SUSTAINABLE society is one that is prepared to monitor the impacts of its activities carefully, openly and democratically, analyse them and use its wisdom and knowledge to solve problems. The knowledge capital of a society is just as important for sustainability as its natural or human-made capital. Several meetings …
A reverse metamorphosis is taking place in Naini Tal: a beautiful butterfly is changing into an ugly caterpillar. Pollution of the Naini lake, illegal construction, land encroachment, faulty planning and lopsided tourism development is ruining Naini Tal. Its very existence, especially that of the lake, is endangered. Technology alone cannot …
Whichever way we look at the future, nobody can deny that today's world is in deep crisis. The central task must be to provide adequate living conditions for a growing world population that restores and maintains a sustainable relationship with nature. This is not only a moral imperative but a …
THERE are some books in the market that need to be reviewed, if only to reveal a racket of converting doctorate theses into so-called specialised books that at times cost the earth. If you thought every little scientific book provided something new, this book is a must for you. This …
Awerness-raising videos made for Western consumption are better not seen or shown in India. Though they strive hard to be politically correct, oversimplification and factual inaccuracies inevitably creep in. Neighbours -- The Life and Times of Yesudas Kemel, an educational package prepared for schools by ACTIONAID UK, a non-governmental organisation, …
THE HAMMER did not come down while the iron was still hot. Consequently, the traditional method of iron making in India has faded away. Though attempts have been made to resurrect this tradition in different parts of the country, only very few -- if any -- have seen the red …
LOVERS of Indian vernacular literature will no longer have to scour bookshops and libraries for Hindi translations of works in other languages. The Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur has developed a linguistic software called Anusarak that does a fairly competent literal rendering of Kannada text into Hindi. Based on …
MORE THAN 6,000 ha of usar (saline) infertile land in 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh have been regenerated in the last decade by the Sarvodaya Ashram, a non-governmental organisation, through community participation. Sarvodaya workers played only an advisory role and all the work was left to be done by the …
INDIANS have always stored rain water, sometimes enough for several years in anticipation of droughts. In most parts, it rains only for three months -- during the monsoon. The country is full of indigenous water harvesting structures, known variously as eries, kulams, kuntas, cheruvus and johads. They show enormous diversity …
WHAT'S wootz? It's not the bark of a Chihuahua nor an expletive. This exotic word (unknown even to the Oxford English Dictionary) refers to a legendary Indian steel that gave Damascus swords and daggers their flexibility, wavy appearance and superior edge. The mystique of wootz steel (scholars say wootz is …
Important issues for the Third World have been overlooked in the Uruguay round of negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that concluded with the signing in December of an agreement among the member countries. Africa remains vulnerable: Because food aid has been ruled out of the …
DR COMPUTER As scholars expounded on the significance of traditional sciences, a computer in the pandal outside prescribed lifestyles to the more practical-minded. The diagnostic system was a software called Prakruthi, devised by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). Based on the principles of Ayurveda, the system fires …
