Articles
Jun 14 2016
HILL AGITATION
Manipur: Rattled and torn
HILL AGITATION : Manipur: Rattled and torn
It has been more than nine months since a political crisis has snowballed into a battle between the tribals and the non-tribals of Manipur creating sharp divisions. Ramesh Menon surveys the fragile situation.
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Jun 08 2016
BIO-DIVERSITY ACT
Withering public consultations
BIO-DIVERSITY ACT : Withering public consultations

Per Biological Diversity Act, 2002 before using any Indian biological material for commercial or R&D purposes, public consultation is needed via the local Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs), which the National Biodiversity Authority wants to do away with. Kanchi Kohli and Shalini Bhutani ask why.
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Jun 05 2016
COAL POWER PLANTS
Water guzzlers in water-stressed areas
COAL POWER PLANTS : Water guzzlers in water-stressed areas
This summer, stories of the impacts of drought and water scarcity that mostly highlight the conditions of farmers, cattle, domestic water supplies in villages, towns and cities have been regular. What is often not reported is the situation with industries, particularly the coal based thermal power plants, reports Shripad Dharmadhikary.
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May 29 2016
ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE
A misplaced emphasis on highways?
ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE : A misplaced emphasis on highways?
Why does the government continue with its blind focus on highways and expressways when infrastructure for water supply, waste management and mass transit system is in desperate need of attention? Kannan Kasturi criticises the government's prioritization and says there is more to public infrastructure than just highways and expressways.
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May 24 2016
NORTHEASTERN CINEMA
Telling tales from the Northeast
NORTHEASTERN CINEMA : Telling tales from the Northeast
Shoma Chatterji writes about the challenges faced and efforts being made in the Northeastern states of India to encourage and support film making.
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May 19 2016
STATUS OF GROUND WATER
Extraction exceeds recharge
STATUS OF GROUND WATER : Extraction exceeds recharge
Last month, the Bombay High Court passed an order to shift IPL matches scheduled for the month of May out of the state of Maharashtra citing an acute water shortage in some parts of the state for its decision. PRS Legislative Research, answers some basic questions about ground water and its depletion in our country.
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May 12 2016
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
How badly designed and unsafe
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS : How badly designed and unsafe
The 30th and 5th anniversaries this year of the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plant accidents respectively are the right occasions to examine India’s record in this sector, writes Darryl D’Monte.
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May 07 2016
CONFLICT IN NUCLEAR AGE
World War II redux in the nuclear age
CONFLICT IN NUCLEAR AGE : World War II redux in the nuclear age
A mega Indian Army exercise aimed at sharpening Army's deep strike capabilities in enemy territory concluded last month in Rajasthan. Firdaus Ahmed analyses why having the strike capabilities in this nuclear age might be a mixed blessing.
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Apr 29 2016
NUCLEAR DANGER
What Chernobyl and Fukushima remind us
NUCLEAR DANGER : What Chernobyl and Fukushima remind us
On the 30th anniversary of the catastrophic nuclear accident in Chernobyl, one can ignore the lessons – as well as those of the Fukushima plant, only at our peril, writes Darryl D’Monte.
Apr 27 2016
CINEMASCOPE
Saankal – strong content, weak movie
CINEMASCOPE : Saankal – strong content, weak movie
Even a badly made film becomes a learning experience for the viewers because it sheds light on issues not known widely otherwise, says Shoma Chatterji as she reviews the movie Saankal.
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Apr 22 2016
BLOG: RESISTANCE AND RECONSTRUCTION
Hope in Bihar
BLOG: RESISTANCE AND RECONSTRUCTION : Hope in Bihar
Recently, Ashish Kothari visited some areas in Bihar where interesting things are happening. Under progressive governance and grassroots action by its citizens when these are implemented state-wise, Bihar would be well on the path of progress.
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Apr 20 2016
WASTE DUMP
Residents of a municipal dumping site fight back
WASTE DUMP : Residents of a municipal dumping site fight back
The women of Meghpar village of Kutch District are fighting the big port town Gandhidham municipality which is dumping its waste in their village. Vimal Kalavadiya and Shvetangini Patel report from Kutch.
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Apr 11 2016
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
New regulations welcome, but the proof will be in the eating
THERMAL POWER PLANTS : New regulations welcome, but the proof will be in the eating
New regulations from the environment ministry require coal-based thermal power plants to stick to legally binding limits for water consumption. Shripad Dharmadhikary examines the implications of these rules.
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Apr 06 2016
LIMBU TAMANG ISSUE
Tribal seat reservation issue rakes up storm in Sikkim
LIMBU TAMANG ISSUE : Tribal seat reservation issue rakes up storm in Sikkim
The long pending issue of Limbu-Tamang tribal seat reservation in the Sikkim legislative assembly has to be resolved within the next four months as per the latest orders given by the Supreme Court. Soumik Dutta writes about how this could change the political scenario in Sikkim.
Apr 05 2016
HUMAN RIGHTS REPRESSION
Debaranjan Sarangi: Another artist incarcerated
HUMAN RIGHTS REPRESSION : Debaranjan Sarangi: Another artist incarcerated
Debaranjan Sarangi, a documentary film maker, writer and human rights activist was arrested recently in Kashipur, Odisha. Shoma Chatterji writes about Sarangi's arrest, his activism and his films which deal with Adivasis and their struggles.
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Apr 04 2016
PROGRESS UNDER NREGA
Jharkhand looks at better planning to aid NREGA outcomes
PROGRESS UNDER NREGA : Jharkhand looks at better planning to aid NREGA outcomes
A three-day planning process undertaken as part of a state-wide campaign called “Yojana Banao Abhiyan” to plan for NREGA implementation in every village in Jharkhand has sensitized the people and authorities to the potential of the scheme and recharged local democratic institutions. Ankita Aggarwal reports.
Mar 31 2016
RISK FROM TOXIC CHEMICALS
The poisons we play with everyday
RISK FROM TOXIC CHEMICALS : The poisons we play with everyday

From the paints in our homes to the discarded CFL tubes, the sources of toxic chemicals that pose a serious threat to our health and safety are omnipresent. Darryl D’Monte highlights why it is imperative for India to move faster and more determinedly in tackling this problem.
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Mar 29 2016
MUNDRA STORY
How non-compliance is condoned: A short story
MUNDRA STORY : How non-compliance is condoned: A short story

Evidence of violation of environment regulation by the Adani group in their Mundra Port and SEZ Ltd and the Waterfront Development Project have been found. Kanchi Kohli reports on why both the projects are still moving ahead.
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Mar 27 2016
HUMAN RIGHTS
Ishrat Jahan case: Is the political furore skirting the core issue?
HUMAN RIGHTS : Ishrat Jahan case: Is the political furore skirting the core issue?
The Ishrat Jahan case has again hit the headlines with former home minister P Chidambaram being accused of rewriting an affidavit to prove the 19-year-old’s innocence. But the legal probe into whether she was a victim of an extra-judicial killing seems forgotten. Ramesh Menon presents a recap and investigates where things stand now.
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Mar 25 2016
WATER & ACCESSIBILITY
Hill women no longer panic over water scarcity
WATER & ACCESSIBILITY : Hill women no longer panic over water scarcity
In many part of rural India, women spend most of their time walking long distances to collect water for their household's needs. Nitin Jugran Bahuguna visits the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand where the women no longer have to worry about fetching water from long distances thanks to an intervention that has brought potable water right to their doorstep.
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