Author Archives:
NREGA’s Technological Sabbatical
OVER 2.5 crore job card holders registered under Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) could be affected by the rural development ministry’s decision to introduce biometrics to the scheme. The job cards of beneficiaries in 200 districts across India are set to expire in 2011. The process of job card renewal under the biometric system […]
Birth control pangs: Injectable contraceptives raise alarm
THE Union health ministry is again considering introducing injectable contraceptives in the family planning programme. The ministry has asked its Drug Technical Advisory Body (DTAB) to allow use of Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA) in the programme. An earlier attempt to introduce it was withdrawn in 1995 after Supreme Court’s intervention. The contraceptive has side-effects, which […]
No Dams On The Brahmaputra, Pleads Northeast
With reports that China plans to build at least 21 dams on the Yarlung Tsanpo and several others on its tributaries, the fear is that Assam and Arunachal Pradesh would be badly affected. Indian engineers have raised apprehensions that China might have plans to divert the 78 billion cubic metres (bcm) of water to its […]
Rethink CRZ Conversion In Dona Paula: HC To NCZMA
The high court of Bombay at Goa on Friday directed the National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) to reconsider its approval given to convert certain stretches of Dona Paula falling in CRZ III areas to CRZ II that benefitted developers.
125 Trees Cut To Make Way For Cricket Stadium
Around 125 trees were felled from Saturday onwards for the 75 metre pitch and pavilion area at the site earmarked for the international cricket stadium at Tivim. A section of the villagers alleged that GCA had violated the assurance given to the high court of Bombay at Goa that no trees would be cut and no work […]
Correct Anomalies In RP 2021 In 7 Days, Govt Told
A group of citizens’ panels has demanded that the government scrap eco-tourism zones from the Regional Plan (RP) 2021. It has termed the inclusion of the zones as going against the interests of the people and an attempt by the government to bring in ‘upscale tourism industries’ through the back door.
China’s Spreading Sands
On China’s western frontiers, a massive afforestation drive to battle the spread of the desert reveals fast-expanding efforts to combat climate change. View slide show
Four Myths That Hold Back Progress In Fighting Climate Change
The U.N. Secretary-General has presented options for raising $100 billion a year to promote development while fighting climate change. This is timely, but for such funds to make a difference, we must get past a set of myths that prevent the efficient use of resources. Myth no. 1: Energy efficiency can’t meet energy needs.
Keep RP 2021 Plans Open To Public: GBA
Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) demanded that finalized plans of the Regional Plan for Goa (RP) 2021 (release one) comprising taluka plans of Pernema and Canacona be kept open for 30 days prior to notification to rule out import of projects through the backdoor.
Understanding What Young Kashmiris Want
At the height of the agitation, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced an “employment package” that would give 50,000 young people jobs. Aware that the government simply does not have so many jobs to absorb young people, the Centre is now desperate to create jobs in the near-term, and has appointed the former Reserve Bank of […]