Fifteenth Finance Commission: Over Rs. 4.36 lakh crore for local governments
Local governments will get special health grants
Panchayati Raj institutions in Bihar submitted utilisation certificates for only 42% of grants received: CAG
Staff crunch in PRIs in the state impacted the devolution of functions, the audit highlighted
Does civil society activism fit in with electoral politics?
Many activists took part in the recent elections. Has their participation in electoral politics exposed civil society activism to state repression?
‘Our subscribers don’t miss newspapers’
Journalist-turned-media entrepreneur Niraj NaiK runs Breaking News on Mobile in Goa. It is a unique state-level paid SMS news service and is …
Closed systems, open minds
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has been doing research on health and environment in the public interest. But most government …
Shifting weight
In the weeks leading up to the Seattle meet of the WTO, both the US government and the trade organisation have been trying to appease Western greens
Green reflections
The un hopes to take a lead in environmental management. Whether it lives up to the challenge or not, is still to be seen
Air pollution
Our cities and small towns are reeling under severe air pollution made worse by the government's muddled approach to air quality planning. Only a …
Going to town with agriculture
Helped by a proactive government, residents of Havana resort to urban agriculture to solve their food crisis
Orissa's stick is Chhattisgarh's carrot
orissa might well be at the receiving end of one of Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi's pre-poll sops meant to benefit his own states's …
"Water is a national resource"
GOURISANKAR GHOSH, executive director, Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, Geneva, Switzerland tells NIDHI JAMWAL that there …
"Even conventional sources of energy initially required government support"
Rakesh Bakshi, managing director, Vestas RRB India Limited, an Indo-Danish joint venture manufacturing wind electric generators, talks to …
Would cats bell themselves? The wait for the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
The recently concluded UN South Asia Forum on Business and Human Rights (March 17-19) evoked a lot of enthusiasm from diverse stakeholders. Would …
Centre’s new tribunal rules likely to change NGT composition
The Centre has notified new rules for appointment and termination in the NGT, which grant more say to the executive while reducing the influence …
Nuclear nightmare
Japan is hit by yet another nuclear accident. Low safety standards and tardy government action aggravates the situation
Substance Abuse
The Montreal Protocol was meant to eliminate Ozone-depleting substances. It is turning out to be a technology trap for Indian industry. And …
Beat that heat
Municipalities and citizens in the US could significantly contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Divide and rule
The failure of India's rural planning policies is due to the lack of understanding of human-land relationship
Biodiversity in jeopardy
Tribals in Kerala are being forced to give away medicinal plants in repayment of their loans. In the process, biodiversity is being depleted
Diseased fields
Dying paddy crops leave Kashmir valley farmers high and dry. The state government chips in late to combat the crisis
Sealed fate
The de-sealing drive of the Delhi government is yet to take-off as a bureaucratic maze greets factory owners
Earth-shaking intervention
An earthquake rocks El Salvador causing widespread destruction. Deforestation aggravates the situation
Reining it in
Chennai shores up its laws to curb groundwater depletion, with renewed emphasis on rainwater harvesting
Wings Of Change
Migratory birds stage a comeback after a long hiatus as Kashmir wetlands get a fresh lease of life
The link with a hole
At a time when river networking is being touted as a panacea for the entire country's water woes, the tide of opinion in Karnataka is turning …