CIC: Jobs for the boys
Given the present method of appointment, our chances of getting independent and unbiased Information Commissioners are close to zero, writes
Krishnaraj Rao.
K Balagopal - The honest leftist
K Balagopal refused to accept, from either State or Maoist, the justification of a culture and mentality which celebrates power and use of force in
society, writes Ramachandra Guha.
Running wild with the Biodiversity Act
While the Biological Diversity Act is touted by the government as a conservation legislation, its application does not show much evidence of this
intent. Kanchi Kohli reports.
Film review: The spoofs of Malegaon
If there are differences between a documentary and a feature film, Faiza Khan's Supermen of Malegaon dispels them all. Shoma Chatterji reviews the
film.
Between a village and a town
Janjgir has a poor base to raise finances and is heavily dependent on fund transfers from the state government. There is little here that would
qualify this as a town, writes Kalpana Sharma.
Rain pond to the rescue
This dairy in Palakkad, Kerala spent over Rs.2 lakhs buying water from outside in 2008, since borewell yields were insufficient. This year they will
spend nearly eight-nine times less, because of a rain pond. Shree Padre has more.
Making ends meet, in the wake of the Narmada dam
In the shadow of the Narmada dam, those displaced by the canal once hoped that its water would irrigate their fields. Little did they know how their
lives would turn out. Neeta Deshpande reports.
GM crops: Where is the science?
The debate in GM plants is deeply suffused by vested interests. In addition to impeding research, companies also exert their influence on review and
approval, writes Sujatha Byravan.
Nobel for ostrom: Are Indian policy-makers listening?
Popular ideas of development and management of common resources should be revisited in light of this year's Economics Nobel Prize, given to Prof.
Elinor Ostrom, writes Prakash Kashwan.
Varanasi weavers get GI protection
The country's latest Geographical Indication certificate offers some new hope - of putting the sheen and colour back in a vital piece of Indian
heritage, and livelihoods linked to it. Puja Awasthi reports.
1984 - Twenty five years later
The continuous repetition of 1984 style violence also says something very unflattering about the man on the street, writes Rajesh Kasturirangan.
Bundelkhand - Living with drought
The rains may have failed Bundelkhand but more than this it is the governments that have forsaken the people over the years. Kannan Kasturi reports.
A Kerala land struggle is settled, questions remain
Over 1400 families who had started living on the rubber plantation of Harrisons and Crossfields -- the Chengara struggle -- will now get land in a deal brokered by the Chief Minister in the presence of the Leader of the Opposition. P N Venugopal takes stock.
In TN, poor parents pushing children into English schools
Recognising that government schools with their Tamil medium education do nothing to ensure a good career path or ensure employment, parents are stretching themselves to make the shift in rural Tamilnadu. Still, plenty of challenges remain reports Krithika Ramalingam.
Lakshmibehn's legacy of loss
It is not only those whose villages have been submerged who have suffered, but hundreds of families have lost land to the building of Sardar Sarovar
itself. Neeta Deshpande reports.
Need to strengthen climate diplomacy
India is well on its way to a low-carbon economic future, but its global image suffers because we lack the public discourse to bolster our argument,
unlike China and the Western countries, writes Darryl D'Monte.
Narmada refugees: Living on the edge
In the shadow of India's most controversial dam, men and women struggle to live with dignity. The first in a series on uprootment and survival in the
Narmada valley by Neeta Deshpande.
A miner's shortcut to green clearance goes awry
A Jindal group-Government of Tamilnadu firm attempted to get forest clearance for mining in the Eastern Ghats forests of TN. Both the Ministry of Environment and a Supreme Court monitoring committee said 'No'.
Kanchi Kohli has more.
Electricity Act: The power to protect rivers
The Electricity Act, 2003 requires each hydel project to be considered in light of other projects in the same river basin, but investigation of one
project shows that this is not really enforced, writes Shripad Dharmadhikary.
