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Return of the moneylender An unprecedented new legislation from the RBI seeks to give traditional moneylenders a new legitimacy, making them eligible to borrow from commercial banks and putting a cap on interest rates that can be charged More... Nandigram's women: changemakers, not victimsIt was the women of Nandigram who led the opposition and the agitation against the takeover of their farmlands. These women are regularly paraded as victims of State violence. But they are excluded from the processes of conflict-resolution and negotiation More... Globalisaton and liberalisation: Fuzzy boundaryGlobalisation encompasses several simultaneous processes, at the base of which is greater interconnectedness across the globe. Liberalisation is a more specific term that refers to a bunch of consequential economic changes underway in several countries. The two terms tend to be used interchangeably though they are not the same, and it is useful to understand the difference More... Control masquerading as regulation?In the face of outraged opposition, the draft Broadcast Bill and Content Code will be submitted to another round of consultations with stakeholders. A more carefully considered and drafted piece of legislation aimed at setting up an independent, autonomous public authority with a mandate to regulate the media in the public interest is required More... The high-rise hang-upBy 2020, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region is estimated to have 28.5 million people, more than even Tokyo. By 2050, it may have as many as 40 million. Unfortunately, Mumbai's architects and urban planners are obsessed with building taller and faster, not with the footprint of cities, or open spaces and partnerships between classes and communities More... India's senior citizens finally get a hearingThe Union Cabinet's recent decision to approve a new law -- the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Bill 2007 aimed at helping the elderly live in dignity and peace -- is a welcome move towards the protection and care of India's 77 million elderly citizens More... Whose 'good' governance is it anyway?Governance used to be seen as the techno-managerial functions of the state. Today, governance is increasingly influenced by market forces, civil society processes and citizens initiatives. Therefore, both state and non-state actors must be held accountable for ensuring a just, people-centred and human rights-based approach to governance More... The sensex of alienationTwo of the suspects from the terror attack on Glasgow airport are highly-educated youth from globalising, booming Bangalore. Why are young people like them increasingly drawn to destruction and not creation? Why does culture no longer give us a sense of community? Why does it fail to counter alienation, discontent and discrimination? More... Hearts bleed, the structure remains untouchedIs modern Indian theatre that attempts to 'conscientise' people about social justice issues turning real individuals into an undifferentiated mass of generic suffering-people? Are we only evoking fleeting moments of pity, rather than the outrage these issues demand? More... Social unrest and 10% growthIn 2005. there were 84,000 public protests in China. Indian economists and planners who are keen to emulate the Chinese economic model would do well to heed this, says Ashish Kothari, since the unrest in China, as in India in recent years, is fuelled by the inequities resulting from the race to double-digit growth More... The great green rushEveryone -- including venture capitalists -- seems to be jumping onto the global biofuels bandwagon. But the ethanol needed to fill an SUV just once requires 200 kg of corn, which could feed a person for a whole year More... SEZs: Stirring up a storm along the Indian coastThe SEZ issue is being highlighted as a farmers' issue, with a rehabilitation policy being worked out for those who will lose their land. But with 80% of approved SEZs in coastal states, what about the thousands of fisherfolk who will lose livelihoods based on the sea, estuaries and coastal systems? More... The Shenzhen Syndrome: Growth compromises equityChina's Shenzhen has workers slaving for 9-14 hours a day at less than minimum wages, 500,000 child labourers, and a crime rate nine times that of Shanghai. Is this the economic model Indian policymakers want to emulate, especially at a time when China itself has discredited and abandoned its SEZ policy? More... The Shenzhen Syndrome: Will India repeat China's mistakes?From the mid-'80s, China experienced a 'zone fever' much like India's, with millions of hectares of agricultural land being transferred to infrastructure and industrial use. But Beijing woke up in time to the dangers of the speculative bubble thus created and acted to conserve arable lands More... Missing the wood for the treesFollowing the NFHS survey, the HIV numbers game has begun again. The point is that regardless of the actual number of people infected in India, there can be no complacency or drop in political and societal commitment towards HIV intervention and the rights of positive people More... |
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