India @70: Take politics out of governance 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... |
Why the rapes never stop 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 debates if privacy can be a fundamental right A nine-judge Constitution bench is examining whether privacy is a fundamental right. The bench was formed in response to petitions challenging government orders that made Aadhaar mandatory. The petitions had right to privacy as one of the arguments. While petitioners claim that right to life and liberty inherentily include right to privacy, government believes it's more of a social notion like 'pursuit of happiness' and should not be a legal... |
‘Rare diseases policy will help 70 million patients in India’ Around 70 million patients, mostly children, living with rare diseases in India have something to cheer about as the Union government has formally recognised their existence and formed a policy to address diagnostic and treatment gaps There are over 7,000 rare diseases in the world of which only 450 have been identified through reported cases in India. Most of these diseases go undiagnosed... |
India needs to be cautious on free trade pact with ASEAN 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. |
Dalits embracing Buddhism need to go beyond politics The Dalits in modern India use initiation into Buddhism as a symbolic protest. Recently, around 180 families immersed the idols of Hindu deities and took to Buddhism after a violent clash with members of upper caste in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Last year, over 300 Dalits took deeksha in Gujarat after seven Dalits were flogged for skinning a dead cow. ... |
‘Farmers and wildlife will suffer if Mhadei’s water is diverted’ The beautiful Mandovi or Mhadei river is a bone of contention between Goa and Karnataka for last over 15 years. The rivers flows for the first 35 kilometers through Karnataka and enters Goa through a pristine forest range of Western Ghats. While Goa calls it a lifeline which keeps the salty sea water away from the agriculture belt, Karnataka wants to build 12 dams to divert water, claiming it will serve its dry central region where farmers... |
Bleeding banks need more than a bandage The banking industry is in shambles thanks to high level of NPAs, especially in public banks. According to a report by the Public Finance Public Accountability Collective (PFPAC), the NPAs rose from a mere Rs 50,517 crores in 2007 to Rs 5,41,763 crores in 2016. In a period of six months between September 2015 and March 2016 the amount of NPAs shot up by a staggering 46 percent. That they now stand at Rs 10 lakh crore underscores the economic... |
Watch this video to know why farmers are protesting all over India Journalist P Sainath is known for his in-depth knowledge about rural India. On June 11, 2017, he interacted through a public webinar by People's Archive of Rural India explaining the present agriculture crisis in wake of farmers' protests in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. He also touches upon how the new cattle rules will impact rural economy, the water crisis and geneticially modified (GM) crops. Sainath also offers solutions to these... |
Why you should be worried about GM Mustard GM Mustard may soon become India’s first genetically modified (GM) food crop. On May 11, 2017, the Environment Ministry's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) had recommended commercial use of GM Mustard seed, DMH 11, developed by Delhi University. While GM crops are grown in a few countries, including US and Canada, many more have rejected or are undecided because of possible health and ecological risks linked to this technology. In... |
