Harvest of Hope: Women reap rich dividends through group farming The states of Kerala and Telangana have created cooperatives of women farmers which has not only reaped financial benefits but also ensured better social status for the members. The women got familiar with farm practices, government institutes and private agencies, market negotiations and fund management, all of which helped them overcome gender, caste and class barriers |
NEP may make higher education inaccessible to many Making higher education accessible to all has been a challenge for India due to high drop out rates at school level, lack of infrastructure and funds. The New Education Policy (NEP) proposes an overhaul of the higher education set up. It promises lot of radical changes but experts worry that this may lead to further rise in privatisation, loss of institutional autonomy and higher drop... |
Lockdown Woes: 91% workers didn't get ration, no wages for 84% While the lockdown did not contain the spread of the virus as expected, it did spawn a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. India’s lockdown has been cited as one of the most ‘stringent’ and ‘stingy’ lockdowns in the world shutting down the economy and movement with a meagre fiscal package for the vulnerable. In the first half of the lockdown, migrant workers were stranded with no food and money. In the second, their woes were compounded... |
Camel milk inspires hope for herders India’s camel population has declined by 37 percent over the last seven years because it’s no longer needed for transport or farming. Camel milk, found to be a healthier option for people with diabetes and those with food allergies, can be the source of sustenance for camel rearers. Several small dairies and Amul are selling camel milk and its products to city clientele, but low awareness,... |
Fund diversion and policy paradox mar climate finance Climate crisis is real and a serious threat to India’s ambition to become a $5 trillion economy. India’s targets form the basis of the country’s action plan but contradictory decisions continue to derail it. Funds meant for climate have been diverted, access to land resources misused and renewable energy achievements are unreliable.... |
12% of India prone to landslides, 264 killed in 2019 Besides heavy rainfall, human activities such as construction of roads, buildings and railways, mining and quarrying, and hydropower projects damage hilly slopes and impact natural drainage by removing soil and vegetation, loosening soil and gravel and making the hills more susceptible to landslides. In India, 420,000 sq km, or 12.6% of the total land, is landslide prone. Last year, 264... |
Covid 19: Pastoralism under shadows of fear Nomadic herders, whose livelihood depends on livestock, travel in search of pasture land. There are communities whose journeys start every year and pass through traditional routes through different regions. They stop at fixed places where people accept them and allow their herds to camp on their farms in exchange of manure. The lockdown disturbed everything. ... |
बचपन में कैंसर को हराया, अब उसी पर रिसर्च रिसर्च स्कॉलर नित्या मोहन जब मात्र सात साल की थीं, तब उन्हें कैंसर का सामना करना पड़ा। लेकिन समय पर इलाज, परिवार के सहयोग और खुद के हौसले ने कैंसर को हरा दिया। इतनी कम उम्र में कैंसर का मतलब एक छोटे बच्चे की समझ से परे था। लेकिन कैंसर के इलाज के दौरान की यादें नित्या के मन में इतनी गहराई तक समाईं कि बड़े होने पर भी उनके मन में कई सवाल उठते रहे, जैसे आखिर यह कैंसर है क्या? इसका कारण क्या होता है? क्या कोई ऐसी वैक्सीन नहीं है, जो कैंसर को होने... |
In Pics: Suffering in the town powering India’s nuclear dreams Uranium is a vital mineral for India’s ambitious nuclear power programme. Out of the seven states with uranium reserves, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh have currently operating mines. In Jharkhand’s Jaduguda region, which has India’s oldest uranium mines, local communities narrate stories of suffering due to degrading health and the environment. The government, however, denies any ill-impact of uranium mining on people. The Indian government is... |
माटी मानुष चून : क्या गंगा एक मानव निर्मित नदी नेटवर्क बनने वाली है ? ये एक महान नदी के तिल तिल मरने की कहानी हैं। वह नदी जिसे इस देश के करोड़ों लोग अपनी माँ कहते हैं। वह नदी जो एक पूरी भाषा, एक पूरी संस्कृति की जननी है, क्या आप मान सकते हैं कि मर रही है? ये किताब उस लम्हे को बयान करने की कोशिश है कि जब गंगाजल सिर्फ गंगोत्री में बचेगा, बनारस में नहीं। बाकी जगह सिर्फ पानी होगा, गंगाजल नहीं, जिसके बारे में कहावत थी कि गंगाजल कभी सड़ता नहीं । इस किताब को हमारे तथा... |
India should spare its forests for sustainable post-Covid recovery Indian forests offer model of equitable development in the post-Covid world by offering food and money to the most vulnerable. The government is, however, going the other way by auctioning coal blocks in rich forests and diluting environmental laws. Around 50 million families in India supplement their diet with food from forests and scrubland while Rs 20,000 crore worth of minor forest... |
Covid-19: Sex workers battle stigma, hunger Sexual interactions run contrary to physical distancing norms required to avoid contracting coronavirus thus unconditionally stalling source of livelihood of sex workers. In India, sex work is criminalised and stigmatised putting these workers in the most vulnerable category, thus left behind in response to the pandemic by the government. They lack documents and bank accounts to avail of... |
Agriculture in post-Covid economy has to be sustainable As the world debates about the post-Covid economic model, farming is regaining its status as the most viable, decentralised livelihood generator. Right policies can ensure that it not only revives the economy but also acts as a carbon sink and neutralises pollution. As the biggest nature-based occupation that gives a bounty with little investment, agriculture also has the capacity to employ... |
How Draft EIA 2020 will impact environment Environmental Impact Assessment sets in place a legal framework for regulating activities that impact the natural resources and people. Many environmental activists call the draft detrimental towards protecting the already deteriorating environment. The draft allows a freer reign to industrial projects while limiting public consent and interference. Some of the major changes include post facto clearance which means industries can start... |
Ballooning loans, job insecurity for India’s reverse migrants Millions of migrants began a journey on foot or cycle to reach their home states safely with no food or water supplies, dealing with hunger, starvation, and exhaustion. Many even lost their lives while trying to make this journey. Data compiled by various individuals and agencies have painted a grim picture. According to the data provided by Thejesh GN, the lockdown has resulted in the death... |
Perilous venture into commercial coal mining The recent Mineral Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, opens mining to the private sector with no restriction on end-use of coal and permission for 100 percent foreign direct investment. The move is supposed to close the gap between government’s revenues and expenditure and help save foreign exchange. It, however, comes at a time when India’s energy mix is already shifting towards cleaner... |
Data protection bill: Ruse of security Indian government promised that it will come up with a robust data protection regime but the draft personal data protection bill tabled in Lok Sabha in December 2019 did not instill confidence. Experts pointed out that the bill grants exemptions to the government to collect personal data on grounds of prevention and detection of crimes, without any judicial oversight. The bill also proposes... |
Covid-19: Digital learning skips villages Ever since the nationwide lockdown to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic began on March 25, many educational institutions have resumed learning for their students through online medium and software applications such as WhatsApp and Zoom. Although online schooling is an easy way out, a vast segment of India’s population is unable to access these means. According to a 2018 World Bank survey, 69.57 percent of India’s population lives in rural areas... |
Women herders lose authority as pastoralism grows roots Conversion of common lands for solar parks, industrial zones and plantations have undermined the productivity of pastoralists. Even though many nomadic pastoralists have taken to settled livestock rearing, they continue to face challenges in accessing local village grazing lands. Settled living also leads to young men migrating to cities to seek alternate jobs or to pursue higher education... |
Covid-19: Race to generate work in villages Around 400 million workers are at risk of falling even deeper into poverty because of Covid-19 pandemic. Centre and states are racing against time to generate jobs near their homes where they went from cities due to lockdown with MGNREGA emerging as the greatest absorber of workforce. State governments have included farms, water conservation works, fruit tree plantation and construction of sports stadiums in villages as works to be done under... |
