Of all the words that have been coupled with innovation, “frugal” must rank as the most intriguing—and it is an Indian invention. “Frugal innovation” is a term coined by the Planning Commission, which proffers it as a radical solution to finding more appropriate processes and products to tackle the development …
It is logical for India to be one of the few countries to spend about two per cent of its gross domestic product on the social sector. After all it hosts the world’s largest number of poor. But it sounds illogical that nearly three-fourths of it is the cost of …
Latin American countries were the first to flirt with the conditional cash transfer model. It evolved in response to the economic crisis of the 1990s. Many governments found that in the face of the crisis the poor were not availing themselves of education and health services. At the same time …
2010 was a loud year for the environment. High profile projects—from Vedanta to Posco and Navi Mumbai airport to Lavasa—hit the headlines for non-compliance with environmental regulations. While 2009 was the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy, it was only last year that we were all outraged by the …
ON DECEMBER 10, Bihar became the first state to scrap local area development funds allotted to its 318 legislators. The decision, taken by Nitish Kumar’s NDA cabinet, aims to end rampant corruption in the state and is a part of the cabinet’s 22 resolutions passed to turn Bihar into a …
This book released recently by the Wotld Bank contends that most countries are relatively highly dependent on natural capital initially, and the ones that progress most successfully are those that manage their assets for the long term and reinvest in human and social capital as well as in building strong …
Although Nitish Kumar's victory in the Bihar assembly elections reflects a positive response to the development track record and the restoration of law and order in the last five years, the uneven distribution of benefits from public investment and development initiatives at the village level flows from the existing socio-economic …
ON March 9, the country's leading industry captains, attending the first meeting of the Assam Investment Advisory Board in Guwahati, said they were impressed by the emergence of a
Two tribal villages in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra—Mendha Lekha and Marda— savoured victory when they won community rights over their forest resources in August last year. The rights conferred under the Forest Rights Act of 2006 include the right to collect and sell minor forest produce (MFP). These include tendu …
There is a continuing tension between those who espouse growth and those who call for environment protection. The two groups do not talk to each other – they are talking at each other and with every passing day, the gap seems to be widening. But the real conflict is not …
The Forest Rights Act of 2006—also known as the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act—came after considerable and bitter opposition from conservation groups. They said the Act, which would grant land rights to tribals and other forest dwellers, would destroy forests and wipe out …
The governments of the Himalayan hill-states and the international donor agencies have consistently advocated disbursal of funds for improvement of road connectivity in keeping with the mandates of a
A visit to the coastal areas adjoining the Mundra port in the Kutch reveals discontent among fisherfolk, traders and pastoralists over the creation of a special economic zone in the area. Apart from environmental concerns, the traditional livelihoods of residents in the area have also been affected by the new …
The paper locates the genesis of the Naxalite movement on the failure of governance to eliminate structural violence inflicted on the Dalits and Adivasis, changes policies which are extremely detrimental to their interests, makes implementing bureaucracy sensitive and accountable, and establish a system for delivery of justice and grievance redressal …
The inevitable displacement of indigenous people due to transformation of their habitats for use in industrial projects is one of the consequences of the Indian economic growth story. Many issues abound
If the government is to modernise the census process, the next decennial census to be held in 2011 should make collection of information on the aam admi a priority.
The judgment one reaches on what the current year's Budget will do for farmers will vary depending on whether its provisions are seen as a sui generis exercise or are viewed within a longer term perspective that encompasses an awareness of the continuing and relentless drive to implement neoliberal policies …
The agricultural loan waiver valued at Rs.60,000 crore announced in Budget 2008-09 has dominated discussions on the Budget. Coming after four years of conservative reformism, in the midst of an agrarian crisis marked by farmers' suicides, this sudden decision to provide relief to an indebted farming community has been interpreted …
Jamshoro District Nazim Malik Asad Sikandar has approved 38 schemes of village electrification, water supply, road and drainage for remote areas of the district, costing Rs62.5 million. The district nazim directed the DCO to check quality of work and review the progress of development schemes. District nazim Malik Asad Sikandar …
The Government has embarked on an expedited mega development drive for rural villages in the South for which Rs. 2,500 million has been allocated in line with the Mahinda Chinthana 10-year development plan. According to the Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development, the allocation is to be utilised …
