The pace of electoral reforms in India is tardy and often times regressive as in the case of recent relaxation in disclosure norms for corporate donations. On the other hand, demands like state funding of elections, putting political parties under RTI and declaraton of paid news as electoral offence remain unresolved. This timeline is an attempt to look at how we have fared over the years....
Despite spending crores of rupees on the birth control programme, the population of stray dogs has been increasing across India resulting in more attacks on humans, especially children, and retaliatory attacks on dogs. Stray dogs are also a great danger to wild animals and livestock in villages and protected areas. A petition currently being heard in the Supreme Court raises many questions...
At ‘Remember Bhopal’, the first community-led museum of India, voices of survivors lead you through the biggest industrial disaster of the world that killed over 5,000 people, maimed hundreds of thousands and continues to contaminate land and water even after 33 years. The ltragedymade it to the history textbooks but it’s here that one confronts the enormity of this man-made tragedy. ...
With Congress president Sonia Gandhi asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the law on women reservation passed in the Parliament, the issue has gained momentum again. Though major political parties, including BJP, Congress and the Left, have always supported reservation, several smaller and regional parties found it incomplete and inefficient in dealing with unequal status of women....
As India celebrates 70th Independence Day, it stands as a polarised country. Divided on political lines with little room for tolerance to opposite view point. The sanctity of an elected post is often ignored and seen an extension of political affiliation. Political parties thrive and grow at the cost of Indian democracy and help in promotion of an organised lobby of selfish people. The spirit of the Constitution demands that good people...
In 2012, the Delhi gangrape incident, in which a physiotherapy student was gangraped and tortured in a private bus, brought the issue of rape onto discussion platforms, street protests and also pushed the government to come up with stronger policy and law on crime against women. Ever after five years, however, we are an unsafe nation for women. In fact, the situation is only worsening. The data from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows...
India relies on regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP), a proposed free trade agreement with ASEAN members and the five states with which ASEAN has existing FTAs. Despite the impressive prospects the gains for India may not be as significant as assumed and may lead to dumping of cheaper imports which will hamper domestic producers.
Country’s unemployment saga lies far beyond the glass towers and high figure pay cheques. Around 77 per cent families have no regular wage earner and more than 67 per cent have income less than Rs 10,000 a month. Add to this the consistent march towards labour reforms make it easier for industries to sack workers. Not even the courtesy of a ‘pink slip’ for them. More than the availability of jobs, it’s the kind of jobs people have to live...
The recent audit report on environmental clearance and post-clearance monitoring lists many such instances of violations from development projects across India. Inadequate environmental impact assessments, irregularities in public hearings, not meeting promises and unregulated use of natural resources are just a few of the points raised by the audit team. Companies also routinely went back on their promises made during public hearings whether...
The army jawans continue to consume ration even after the expiry of original shelf life putting their health at risk. Modernisation of the food testing laboratories could not be done despite availability of funds. Army continues to procure most items of dry ration without following the recommended procurement process. Full requirement of ration was not met, which led to local purchase by the supply depots at higher rates. Recovery of this...
Cash notes worth over Rs 14 lakh crore have been junked by the government via its order on November 9 to curb black money. Pegged at over Rs 30 lakh crore, black money in India is estimated to be 20 per cent of the GDP. While most are optimistic about this move, many have also questioned if it will be worth the inconvenience people have been put to. Thankfully, we can always look back at history to know if we have done better than before....
The member countries have little in common as far as economic and foreign policy interests are concerned. They generate growth in different and often competing ways. While Brazil and Russia are major energy producers that benefit from high energy prices, India, as a major energy consumer, suffers from them. Except in highly unusual circumstances, like in last decade, they are unlikely to grow in unison. Except China, they have limited trade...
The movement against global mining behemoth Vedanta Corporation led by a small adivasi community of around 8,000 people was likened to many grassroots-level organic and contemporary struggles. However, the popular perception remained that this indigenous community does not want development. That they may yearn for the benefits of modern age was lost in the din of voices as varied as seeking their mainstreaming to leaving them on their own. A...
In India, the automobile industry is only 25 years old. But post the entry of foreign direct investment and liberalisation in 1991, the market for vehicles of all types has seen a colossal growth. Around 2.2 crore vehicles are estimated to reach their end of life by the year 2025. Around 80 percent of those vehicles are expected to be two wheelers. In India, ELVs are almost entirely...
Across the world, rapid development restricted to few growth centres has induced a major change in land use. Forests and traditional set up have given way to farm houses, orchards, plantations, industries and residential societies. On January 28, 2011, the Supreme Court gave much needed judicial recognition to the importance of ‘Commons’. Commons can be understood as a community’s natural resources such as forests, wastelands, and water...
Panama Papers have demonstrated how unfettered inheritance turns leaders and celebrities into petty thieves and knaving dynastic slaves. In 2004, I read in the Utne Reader that the founding fathers of free market economy had very strict views on inheritance, and that they strongly disapproved the policy of unfettered inheritance. I realised the simple equation that "Capitalism without the compounding effects of inheritance was actually some...
भूमि सुधार कानून स्वतंत्रता के बाद बनी सरकार की मुख्य प्राथमिकता थी जिसके तहत जमीन को अमीरों से लेकर गरीबों में बांट कर परंपरावादी जमींदारी प्रथा को समाप्त करना था। लेकिन आज किसी भी पार्टी के घोषणा-पत्र में यह नजर नहीं आता। वर्ष 2012 में एकता परिषद् ने भूमि सुधार की मांग को लेकर ग्वालियर से दिल्ली तक पद यात्रा की थी। एकता परिषद् के अध्यक्ष पीवी राजगोपाल बता रहें हैं कि क्यों यह भूमि सुधार के लिए कठिन समय है और कैसे इससे निपटने के लिए अपनी...
From1850s when the first train ran in India and royal families sponsored its expansion to the present-day envious network and 12,000 trains running daily, railways has connected India like nothing else. Here we look at how things have changed with Indian Railways whether it's the expansion of tracks, jump in freight traffic or even casualties during operations. The total length of track used by Indian Railways is about 90,000 km of which 24...
Despite the changing ethos and increased interest among the women to engage in police organisations, their composition has not gone beyond 7.28 per cent nationally, shows the latest government data. It is believed that presence of women in the police force will encourage women victims of crime to approach the police stations without any inhibitions especially considering that overall crimes...
Train tracks connect India like nothing else. Meandering through valleys, counting fields, jumping over rivers and bringing to halt road traffic, Indian Railways carried over more than 23 million passengers a day in 2014-15 on its 65,436 km network. For many, train turns into a home for few days. However, it’s not easy for women to commute on this convenient and many a times the only mode of transport. In 2013, 693 cases of crime against...
The Union budget saw increase in share of states in the gross tax receipts. While in actuals this might translate to an increase of a nominal 4 per cent in terms of tax revenue shared from Rs 7.62 lakh crore in 2014-2015 to Rs 7.93 lakh crore in 2015-2016, it is the nature of these resources that add value to fiscal devolution. Studies have indicated that states are better capable of administering their finances, while at the same time...
In India, police are trained well, paid minimally, put to odd times and jobs. Yet they remain in a position of power over the rest of the citizens, which is then used to extract money, and other favours. Political control further aggravates the situation. This is why the need for reform of the police force was felt but the reforms were not really acted upon, and if done, it was merely a lip service. Devika Prasad, who works with police...
Forest Rights Act proposes to do away with historical injustices done to those living in and around forests. It might be a tribal sourcing out forest foods and cultivating the land or a non-tribal using the wood for building own house, the Act gives powers back to the people not only for using the resources but also for conservation and protection. But there's still a lot of ground to be covered and we should not miss trees for the wood. Here...
Bhils of Dungarpur bought land from their erstwhile king without knowing that it had already been acquired by the government. While the royal family and the government fight over compensation, farmers continue to live under fear of eviction. All this, despite paying the king as well as the new administration for over 50 years now. The government goes on to build anganwadis, primary health centres, schools and even granted mining leases on the...
In India, only 4 per cent of transportation is by private cars; but these contribute 20 per cent of passenger transport emission. The policy of encouraging private cars and neglecting public transportation makes transportation of both the car owners and others miserable. Width of the roads becomes inadequate and cannot be increased due to crowding of buildings on both sides. Our policy makers offer flyovers and metro rails in big cities as...
The Centre-State relations have always been under strain especially when opposite political parties are heading the two governments. Most of the bickering is either due to fund allocation or matters of jurisdiction. It’s the subjects under the Concurrent List which provide much fodder for conflict as they invite overlapping of powers. These items require an overhauling policy framework defining service delivery, availability of adequate funds...
A major change has taken over the Indian skies. Gone are the days of aluminium rod antennas decked with torn kites. The small direct to home (DTH) dish antennas of today signify the shift from terrestrial (over the air) transmission to satellite telecast. In India, this also implies easing out of the national public broadcaster Doordarshan (DD). While most would like to believe stiff competition from private channels and lack of autonomy are...
It is difficult to make small talk with a woman who has lost her all. Khair-un-Nissa had generously invited me to her home for a meal, a curry made of the famously succulent Black Haringhata hen, no less. The curry was special but it was her house that impressed me most. The bamboo and straw structure boasted a fresh coat of clay. The area was so scrupulously tidy that I felt refreshed the minute I entered the courtyard. Normally, I would be...
In a country where savings of poor families are meagre and banks not ready to risk giving loans, how do you fund local business plans? You let the poor be the bankers themselves. That’s what 2.5 million aptly named self-help groups (SHGs) do across India. The core belief behind SHGs is that poor can help each other by pooling in their savings and lending the money to the members in need. Linkage with banks also gets them easy credit for group...
Land reforms were meant to right the wrongs of traditional zamindari system through redistribution of land from rich to the poor. On top priority of the government at the time of independence, land reforms don’t feature in any party manifesto now. In 2012, Ekta Parishad took out a foot march from Gwalior to Delhi demanding the same.The government agreed to the demands and drafted a homestead law which never got tabled in the Parliament. Ekta...
The rural job scheme, officially known as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), has received more brickbats than bouquets in its six year run. With Rs 1,66,000 crore spent between 2006 and 2012, many call it a government dole rife with corruption and lack of long term vision. Lately, claims about its negative impact on agriculture have also been made.
What’s the cost of a child’s life in India? Should poor people be allowed to sell their children? The answer has always been a resounding no. The law does not permit this. Religion and social norms also go against such a practice as this puts a child’s life in jeopardy making him a slave of trafficking industry. But there are always two sides of the coin and we should not favour one for another. In 2012, 42 out of every 1,000 infants died...
Surekha Gaikwad is a high school graduate. She started picking waste along with her mother-in-law after getting married. Till five years back, she would not even bother to dress up as the day would be spent at a hot and filthy garbage bin. “Even if I had a bath in the morning, by midday I was stinking. So I never bothered to stay clean,” she says. But now Surekha wears a nice fresh sari to work, with a rose in her hair. She leads a team of...
The subject of tax is seldom an emotional issue as it mostly concerns the manner by which the government generates revenue and encourages or discourages certain sections of trade and industry. History shows that whenever the subject of tax becomes an emotional
March 2, 2013, proved to be a day of symbolic victory for the critics of Unique Identification Number (UID) as the Chandigarh Administration decided to revoke its order making the number compulsory for vehicle registration and issuance of driving
Even after three years of the Prime Minister's order, some of the top government websites remain inaccessible to persons with disabilities. What is even more ironic is that some of them make tall claims about being 'accessible' but when tested, failed miserably.
Thousands of years have passed, and a woman’s existence is still verified by that of a male in her life. We’ve all heard of the famous saying – “Behind ever successful man is a woman”, and people often say it in passing without realising its significance.
Government of Gujarat has claimed often that unemployment rate in the state is quite low. It also cites the Central government's labour bureau report to point out that it has the lowest unemployment rate in the country. But those working in the labour sector in
Disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has been the biggest mystery of modern India running for almost seven decades and involving multiple international link ups, national political interests and mysticism. GOI Monitor talks to journalist-turned researcher Anuj Dhar who recently came up with his second book on Bose which tries to clear several doubts
Whatever statistics and reports may say about Gujarat’s development, Agariyas (traditional salt workers), will surely be poorer this year, as they are forced to take more loans to purchase water. Though it is a duty of the government to supply basic
Donesh Bajaj had been waiting for last 10 months to get the building plan sanctioned for a 210 square yard plot at Kharar in SAS Nagar district of Punjab. Under the Punjab's Right To Service (RTS) Act 2011, the time limit for delivery of building plan sanction is 30 days
India's national transport policy says there should be socially equitable distribution of space on roads but as is quite evident, we are biased towards motor vehicles. For a country like us, number of people transported is much more important than number
On June 1, two sewerage workers died after entering a manhole in Lucknow city due to inhalation of methane gas from the sewer. Not even a simple rope was available at hand which could have been thrown in to pull the men out. The workers both in their 20s, were engaged by a private contractor to clean the manhole before operationalisation of the new civil lines laid down by the Lucknow Jal...
Somewhere between Alipur and Narela Sub City lies the village of Holambi Kalan. Around 47 km from Delhi's showpiece Connaught Place, this village was chosen for the relocation of families from JJ ( (short for jhhugi, jhompri) clusters on Minto Road and R.K. Puram, two of the most prime areas of the capital.
Q It is estimated that by 2050, 54 per cent of Indians will live in cities. But with such a high premium being placed on urban land, how are the cities going to host migrants, especially the poor?
Firstly, that estimate is probably incorrect. Already, as indicated by the 2011 Census, urban growth is slowing down - from 54 per cent in the 1970s to 32 per cent currently even though the Census has
Have you ever felt like someone is looking over your shoulder as you write an email, transfer money through netbanking or fill a simple contest form? This concern should trouble us more often as we increasingly exchange personal information online
After a long procedure involving multiple RTI applications and complaint before the Central Information Commissioner, Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC), a donor-supported legal services organisation for protection of freedom in the digital
As frequency of instances of passengers with disabilities being discriminated by airlines continue to increase alarmingly, the Disabled Rights Group (DRG), India’s first cross-disability alliance, has unearthed a shockingly discriminatory policy in the name of ‘security’. Through a reply to an RTI application
In this world of 7 billion people, the global rural-urban balance of populations has tipped irreversibly in favour of cities. But what, exactly, is a "city" in 2011? Hania Zlotnik, the director of the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic
Prithi (name changed) was just 14 years when she started working at a cotton mill in Tamil Nadu through the Sumangali, supposedly a welfare scheme offering great working conditions, comfortable accommodation and a lump sum amount on completion of
Last year, 969 employment exchanges spread across 28 states and seven Union Territories of India registered 6.18 million new job seekers. However, only 0.5 million (8 per cent) of these got a job. This figure officially released by the Union Ministry of
Indian companies venturing abroad is always regarded as a healthy trend, an indicator of India's new-found economic status. But little is known about how these companies are flexing their imperalistic muscles in poorer countries, grabbing the land and giving little in return.
The nuclear plant accident in Japan earlier this year marked the 25th anniversary of world’s worst nuclear disaster at Chernobyl in Ukraine. Both the incidents, though separated in time, are grim reminders to the world that we need to apply brakes
I have come here amid you to feel empowered again because there has been an attempt to weaken me with a single blow. I am a simple human rights activist and 70-75 per cent of my work relates to protection of the rights of common people. Whether the violation is to
It is an accident of history that tobacco became a legal product. It would be a fallacy to assume that a product which kills half its consumers was given a legal status by way of logic. When in the beginning of 19th century, tobacco was commercially used for the first
What can you buy with Rs 2.86? Not much you would say, what with such a high inflation rate. Well Indian railways spends only that much amount on your security in a year. With stations left unguarded, trains running without escorts and thousands of vacancies for
“Greater participation for a stronger democracy” When I came across this slogan of the Election Commission of India, the first thing that came in my mind was: “Do we really participate to make our democracy strong?” For last 63 years since independence the
Roads are harbingers of progress and prosperity but in India, they seem to be bringing along the fatalities. Around 14 people die every hour on Indian roads with annual toll touching 1.27 lakh in 2009. This is nearly 80 per cent more than the road
The launch of GSAT 12 satellite last month invited much applause with India now having more than 60 satellites in the space. However, the acclaim dies out in face of the delayed benefits of this technological advancement bringing all the efforts of great scientists to a naught.
India is a polarised country today. Divided on political lines with little room for tolerance to opposite view point. The sanctity of an elected post is often ignored and seen an extension of political affiliation. Political parties thrive and grow at the cost of Indian democracy and help in promotion of an organised lobby of selfish people. The spirit of the Constitution demands that good people contest elections on their own, reach the...
Vote every five years (or lesser). Pay taxes on time. don't damage public property. Abide by law of the land. Monitor the government. Surprised? You should not be. Because the way things are shaping up in our country, the task of proactively monitoring the
Around 20 years ago, during my initial days in college; I got pushed into a situation which called for standing-up against caste-based-politics of power hungry politicians. The year was 1990 and the trigger-point was the decision taken by the then government to accept
“We will have 9 billion mouths to feed on this earth by 2050 and there will not be enough food for all of us which is why we need to make technological interventions like GM crop to produce more food.” At a time when food prices are soaring and
Grimy plastic jars of various sizes sit proudly on the shelves of Amarjeet Sharma’s room. A 55-year-old farmer in Chaina village of Punjab’s Faridkot district, Sharma says the containers hold seeds that go back to his young days.
