Water conservation: a dying wisdom
Disasters challenge system capacities and human intelligence and in most cases bring out the best of human capabilities in dealing with sudden shock with creative and constructive thinking. This is particularly
Seminar
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Why planning?
Economic planning is a little like a chameleon; it can have different colours. While the Soviet government plans the activities of the socialist economy of the USSR, the Nazi party also used to plan the economic operations of a fascist Germany. Before advocating planning for the Indian economy, we should pause to inquire what is it that we are trying to recommend.
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Combating displacement
THE last couple of decades have witnessed intense resistance movements challenging large-scale displacement caused, among others, by mines, dams, national parks and sanctuaries, bomb and missile-testing ranges, industry and urban expansion.
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The livelihood crisis for women
As we approach another March 8 in this 60th year of India
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The promised land of SEZs
In the last year, Special Economic Zones (SEZs) were a much discussed issue. Most of the discussion focused on two issues, viz. (a) the acquisition of land, rehabilitation, the consequences for farmers and agricultural output, and (b) the cost of the various tax benefits provided to developers of SEZs and the units to be located in them. While these are important issues, they address only the cost aspect of the equation. Taking another path, this paper tries to determine the expected benefits from SEZs and whether they are being achieved.
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Tigers forever
Perhaps no other wild animal has influenced Asia
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Preservation via dislocation
Exclusionist policies of forest conservation, of which preservation via dislocation is an extreme manifestation, need to be situated within the broad canvas of the conservation-poverty-rural livelihood interface.
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Coexisting with predators
For centuries, lions and Maasai have coexisted. However, due to a recent increase in lion killing by Maasai and a reduction of lion
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Unravelling the union budget
All public expenditure meant for development of a community can be expected to have some benefits for children as well. However, in a country where children are clearly a disadvantaged section, there exists a strong case for identifying that part of the public expenditure specifically earmarked for addressing their needs. Such an exercise requires segregating those schemes which are specifically meant for addressing the needs of children, and it is this expenditure which is referred to as the magnitude of total Child Budget.
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Combating the dual nutrition burden in children
AT the time of independence, India faced the twin problems of acute and chronic undernutrition of its children. This was essentially a result of low dietary intake because of poverty and low purchasing power, high prevalence of infection because of poor access to safe drinking water, sanitation and health care and poor utilization of available facilities due to low literacy and lack of awareness.
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Reorienting elementary education
The commitment to provide free and compulsory education for all children up to fourteen years of age is enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Though successive national plans have recorded significant improvements, the final goal of providing quality education for all even after fifty years of planned development still eludes the country.