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Pulse readings: Public health and security
Is a state’s security better achieved by military and diplomatic expenditure or by investment in health, nutrition and housing? Healthy bodies and minds form the nucleus of true security, says Swarna Rajagopalan More... How the media helped ‘out’ LGBT issuesThe media’s positive reaction to the overturning of Section 377, and the debates it initiated across the public spectrum, gave the LGBT issue a much needed airing and buttressed the enlightened ruling of the Delhi High Court, says Siddharth Narrain More... An agenda for the environment ministerIndia’s new minister of state for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh cannot change his government’s focus on unsustainable growth, but he can open the environment ministry to civil society engagement and change its status as a willing rubber stamp for industry, says Ashish Kothari More... Through a child’s eyesSeveral studies suggest that viewing violence on screen prompts aggressive behaviour in children. Parental control of TV viewing and responsibility on the part of programmers is urgently required but there is surprisingly little debate or action on this issue, says clinical psychologist Malavika Kapur More... How cities are changing the worldCities do play key roles in contributing to and combating climate change. But is Jeb Brugman, author of ‘Welcome to the Urban Revolution’ going too far when he extols slums like Dharavi for the environmental economies of scale, density and association when 200,000 residents live and work in the same location? More... Why I did not voteExercising your right to vote every five years is not democracy, a genuine participation at every level of decision-making is, says Ashish Kothari, outlining ways to make this possible More... Promoting people’s participation in urban governanceThe 73rd and 74th amendments were supposed to give citizens a direct say in decision-making. While this has begun to happen at the panchayat level, it has not happened with area sabhas in cities. The Nagar Raj Bill is one way to put in place a democratic, bottom-up system of governance for our urban areas More... Against racismRacial discrimination is increasing, and not only against Indian students in Australia. Dismissing racist attacks as hooliganism will not help, says Mukul Sharma. There is an urgent need to speak out frequently, strongly and at all levels of government against racism and xenophobia More... Small is bountifulIn China, jobs in modern industry declined by 20 million since 1990. But employment in light industries in the countryside increased by 30 million. Is it possible to think of a model of light industrialisation for India? More... Pandemic flu: What we know, what we don’t, and what we should be worried aboutThe swine flu pandemic is relatively mild in India so far, but in India and elsewhere what governments must do to prevent the occurrence of such outbreaks is strengthen public health systems, regulate corporate livestock farming, and ensure access to essential drugs and vaccines More... Between seed and straw: When will we get agriculture right?The figures for crop production, yield and acreage are looking healthy in this quarter. But behind the triumph a crisis gathers strength, says Rahul Goswami More... Malgudi Coffee Shop and other storiesTwelve dalit girls are baking bread and cakes at a Mysore café. Elsewhere in Mysore sex workers and transgenders are running their own restaurant. At La Boulangerie in Chennai, dalit youth are baking French delicacies and supplying them to 5-star hotels. These ‘tasty’ experiments are about breaking the vicious circle of oppression and making a political statement More... Dalits in a 'Hindu rashtra'Everyone knows about Gujarat’s bias against Muslims. But consider the dalits in this ‘Hindu rashtra’: they are confined to ‘dalits only’ housing societies in Ahmedabad, school quotas for recruitment of dalit teachers are ignored, and dalits are buried in separate burial grounds if available and in wasteland if not More... Rumble in the desertOn May 17, 2009, four women were elected to the Kuwaiti parliament as MPs for the first time ever, spelling progress and change in the region. Indeed, the Middle East has been a black hole in the history of feminism, says Manjima Bhattacharjya, and we have only just begun to understand the unique issues and positions of women here More... Greener bordersThe world is only just beginning to focus on environmental threats posed by legal and illegal trade, with hazardous substances crossing borders and putting human health and the environment at serious risk More... |
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