A Green ban
Kanchanpur has some unusual people: drunk men and green women. Ignored and uncared for by the men, the region's lands were barren. Then, the …
Shall we tell the President...
...that he is absolutely right. The responsibility of environmental protection must be borne by both government and civil society
Rolling back the architect
Durganand Balsavar’s designs incorporate community demands even at the cost of violating architectural principles
UNDP report stresses people's participation
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 1993 UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Publisher: Oxford University Press, Delhi Price: Rs 190
Dharna to defecation: The Indian art of protest
Through the centuries, Indians have evolved several novel ways to protest injustice. Many are still practised in India and some have even been …
21st Century faux pas
The people have to take a back seat if the government indulges in cosmetic measures to combat air pollution
Guiding growth
When nothing seemed to stop the desertification of the Banni grasslands, a government institution stepped in and showed the people how they …
Together they conquered
A village committee in Orissa improves the fate of its poverty-stricken people with dedication and determination
Elusive bride price
ALOK GUPTA visits a Bihar village where people are building a road to get wives
Local politics
Book>>Inclusion and Exclusion in Local Self Governance edited by B S Baviskar and George Mathew Sage Publications, Delhi 2009 Rs 750
‘India budget weak in public participation; limited in transparency’
The country’s performance in terms of public participation and budget oversight by the legislature was rated “weak” in the survey
People play key role in anti-filaria project
A programme implemented in central Kerala shows how an illness can be controlled if the community is involved.
Car-free smog-free!
As cars keep off the street following a French call for European car-free day, air quality in some cities shows improvement
Troubled times
As the Lok Sabha gears up to vote on the crucial Aquaculture Authority Bill, thousands of fisherfolk launch an indefinite stir
The revival of indigo
A school principal in Bihar revives the cultivation of the crop that symbolised the independence struggle
Spurring people into action
Villagers of Bhuragaon in Assam no longer depend on the government for protecting their lands from the currents of the Brahmaputra. They have, …
Gunning for biotechnology
The US and Indian business lobby along with the Union government gang up to "educate" the public about biotechnology
MoEFCC proposes new draft rules on wetland management
The new draft allows for the creation of state-level authorities for the management of wetlands
Community management of ponds has been a success'
Mohit Kumar Ray, convener of Kolkata-based non-profit Vasundhara Foundation, says the city has been losing nearly 200 ponds each year for the …
Boss, the real beehive!
Rahul Gandhi’s idea of governance needs fresh focus. How about more autonomy to nearly 240,000 panchayats?
Partners in prosperity
Sukhomajr, a village in Haryana, has come to symbolise how community efforts at natural regeneration can improve both the forests and the people'…
People power
Kerala launches a movement -- of the people, by the people, for the people. Whether the movement will stand the test of time is yet to be seen,…
A Nobel profession
From war-torn countries to nations suffering constantly from natural calamities, Medcins Sans Frontires, also known as Doctors Without Borders, …
Victims of dirty air, all
Physicians, environmentalists and residents of Delhi share a platform to vent their anger over the city's polluted air
Small is more
A small water harvesting structure can produce amazing economic crossover effects. The same may not be true for large canals