Step forward from the backward districts

India's 100 backward districts can teach a new lesson on development

At 25, Panchayati Raj has become a powerful development instrument

Panchayats have become a kind of systematic investment plan for political parties to deepen their influence

The media and the republic

Self-governance in tribal villages is not a threat to national sovereignty

Trajectory of opinion

The social media is the winner as well as the biggest polariser of development news

Second disempowerment

Tribals have lost their decision-making power twice; first to the state then to the Maoists

Blame it on the foreign hand

Centre's motive behind the unseen "foreign hand" theory is to polarise the development discourse

More government, less governance

Environment versus development: 2014 sets the stage for bitter polarisation

गरीबी और आतंकवाद

जम्मू एवं कश्मीर में आतंकवाद की समस्या के समाधान के लिए फौजी ताकत का इस्तेमाल समझदारी भरा कदम नहीं है

A great sweep

Feisty women hill broom gatherers force the forest department to relent in a Orissa village

DTE Special on International Women’s Day 2024

Down To Earth delves into 7 exemplary initiatives to illustrate formidable influence of self-help groups

New Nepal

The country struggles with ways to use its diverse ecology in finalising new states

Have regional parties delivered?

They have not offered an alternative path to development to reflect local aspirations

Zero hour

RIP Panchayati Raj ministry

The new-found `cooperative federalism' will kill the third tier of government in India

The forgotten class

Middle class-driven anti-corruption campaign does not acknowledge the poor

For the record

Boss, the real beehive!

Rahul Gandhi’s idea of governance needs fresh focus. How about more autonomy to nearly 240,000 panchayats?

Year of electors

In 2018, close to half of the world's population will vote for their governments

The countdown begins

Irrespective of being left or right in orientation, the next elections will be about rural issues

Feeble Rights

Rights-based governance has not been accompanied by effective delivery mechanism

Memory's nemesis

An 'anniversary' story changes tack, a tragedy continues unabated

Vote for 2024

Record number of countries will go to elections at a time when young populations’ trust on democracy is waning  

चुनावी लोकतंत्र कितना लोकतांत्रिक?

वैश्विक रुझान बताते हैं कि लोग इस लोकप्रिय शासन तंत्र को अब प्रभावी नहीं मानते

'Thank You' : The expression of gratitude is now propaganda tool in an elected sphere

The Indian government thanking its chief executive for a decision which is a right of the citizen makes a point: The government and the prime …

Fifteenth Finance Commission: Over Rs. 4.36 lakh crore for local governments

Local governments will get special health grants