In five districts, just 500 beneficiaries
The Union government’s direct cash transfer scheme linked to the Unique Identification (UID) number was launched with much fanfare in January with pilots in five districts of Rajasthan. The government
Civil Society
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Friendly, floral hospital
The first thing that greets the eye at Amader Haspatal, a rural hospital in a remote part of West Bengal's tribal dominated Bankura district, is the sheer burst of colour all around.
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Gumani's barefoot doctors
Touching the border of Birbhum in West Bengal , in this abjectly poor district of Sahebgunj in Jharkhand the story of despair is stark. In the black stone mines of Pakur and beyond, run the dark narratives of Kala Azar, silicosis, malaria, tuberculosis and rampant malnourishment. Poverty stares brazenly but there is not even the shadow of a government or relief for the people.
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Radical doctors
A quiet movement in health care has been unfolding in the rural interiors of West Bengal, improving the lives of thousands of people in villages where no doctor has ever been before. It is an effort defined by vision and commitment and is far removed from the CPI(M)-led Left Front, which has spent 30 years in power in the state.
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More clout for Western Ghats
The Western Ghats are undoubtedly one of the world
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'Every village we visited had an Asha'
A huge six-year effort to provide basic public health care services in rural India has run half its course with much remaining to be done, but a few significant successes offer hope for the future. A mid-term evaluation of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) shows that there aren
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Govt CSR guidelines too timid
In December 2009, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs released a four-page document, Voluntary Guidelines on Corporate Social Responsibility, a set of principles aimed at helping Indian companies shape their CSR programmes. The document which has sections on core elements, fundamental principles and implementation guidance for CSR initiatives, has attracted considerable flak.
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Anu Solar unplugs market
Everyone worries about rising electricity bills. But go to buy a solar geyser and what puts you off is the price. It is Rs 38,000 for a 200 litre one. The government does give a 10.5 per cent interest subsidy but that doesn
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Medicinal plants under stress
To find out which medicinal plants are becoming extinct and if climate change is really the only reason Civil Society spoke to DK Ved, director of the Foundation for the Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), in Bangalore. FRLHT has done pioneering work on medicinal plants and Indian systems of medicine.
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Waste pickers rally against company
Waste pickers in New Delhi have made a business proposition that the municipal authorities should find difficult to refuse. They have said that they can generate more than Rs 12 crores a year from composting biodegradable wastes and save Rs 3 crores in transportation costs if their traditional role in garbage collection and segregation is recognised.
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Brinjal is king
In days of yore, the Mararikulam brinjal was much favoured by the royal families of Travancore and Amabalapuzha in Kerala. Slender, long and green, this variety has been grown in Mararikulam on the Kerala coast for centuries. The village would supply its choicest brinjals to royalty.