India Together http://indiatogether.org Get in-depth information and news on development, policy and social issues related to India. en-us Inclusive circularity: Waste-free, and just too http://indiatogether.org/articles/circular-economy-economy http://indiatogether.org/articles/circular-economy-economy Tue, 31 Jan 2023 02:23:43 +0000 Aditi Lokhande Shekar Prabhakar

Encouraging the use of products for as long as possible does more than optimizing the use of natural resources. It can support sustainable innovation and  efficiency, and do so without diminishing the profitability of businesses.

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India’s new growth recipe: Larger firms http://indiatogether.org/articles/large-firms-economy http://indiatogether.org/articles/large-firms-economy Sat, 21 Jan 2023 04:20:56 +0000 Rishita Sachdeva Shishir Gupta

Large Indian firms are yet to become global champions. India should focus on improving their competitiveness so that they can tap into large external markets far more than they have managed so far.

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Elephants need to eat a lot, but are selective too http://indiatogether.org/articles/elephant-food-environment http://indiatogether.org/articles/elephant-food-environment Sat, 14 Jan 2023 10:44:20 +0000

A study in northern West Bengal found elephants are selective with their diet, feeding on less than half the species of plants around them. This is contradictory to the prevalent view that elephants are generalist feeders. Nabarun Guha reports.

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SC opens the door to rights and autonomy in abortions http://indiatogether.org/articles/rights-abortions-women http://indiatogether.org/articles/rights-abortions-women Mon, 09 Jan 2023 08:17:15 +0000 Sweta Dash

The apex court recognised that narrow patriarchal principles and assumptions about permissible sex are limiting the legal options available to pregnant persons, and lead them to unsafe alternatives. 

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IGS numbers decline as forests become less dense http://indiatogether.org/articles/giant-squirrel-environment http://indiatogether.org/articles/giant-squirrel-environment Wed, 30 Nov 2022 10:05:31 +0000

The Indian Giant Squirrel is an indicator species. Its declining numbers tell us that conservation needs a holistic approach where the focus is as much on the habitat as on the animals themselves. 

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How well are securities laws enforced? http://indiatogether.org/articles/securities-laws-enforce-government http://indiatogether.org/articles/securities-laws-enforce-government Mon, 14 Nov 2022 13:17:38 +0000

An analysis of over 8,000 enforcement orders passed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India over a span of ten years provides insight into the use of its powers by the institution, and its priorities. 

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Can DRE projects stem the tide of migration? http://indiatogether.org/articles/dre-migrate-economy http://indiatogether.org/articles/dre-migrate-economy Fri, 14 Oct 2022 04:11:01 +0000

The renewable energy sector is steadily adding jobs, and this trend is likely to continue, say researchers. But women's participation in this workforce is low, and financing difficulties need to be overcome.

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Satellite images reveal impact of frequent cyclones http://indiatogether.org/articles/mangroves-cyclones-environment http://indiatogether.org/articles/mangroves-cyclones-environment Sun, 10 Jul 2022 07:47:32 +0000

Scientists examining satellite images find that cyclone-induced damage slows the recovery of mangroves and changes the forest composition in comparison to other regions that didn't witness many cyclones. 

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The need to spatialise human rights in urban India http://indiatogether.org/articles/right-city-government http://indiatogether.org/articles/right-city-government Mon, 04 Jul 2022 11:43:01 +0000 Prem Chandavarkar

Informal settlements, despite containing a majority of the people, are treated as aberrations. Forced to live outside legal sanction, the poor are condemned to a degraded quality of life.

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Re-seeding the past, for better yields and livelihoods http://indiatogether.org/articles/seeds-omm-agriculture http://indiatogether.org/articles/seeds-omm-agriculture Fri, 17 Jun 2022 04:56:25 +0000 Abhijit Mohanty

Tribal communities in Similipal are being encouraged to conserve seeds and water, use bio-inputs and inter-crop millets with other crops. Farmers are optimistic that this can bring them food security and better livelihoods. 

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Has precision farming's moment arrived? http://indiatogether.org/articles/precision-agriculture http://indiatogether.org/articles/precision-agriculture Mon, 06 Jun 2022 09:56:47 +0000

India needs to grow a lot more food, and do it sustainably to be able to meet its future food security and also keep its climate commitments. Precision farming is still nascent in the country, but could offer a way forward.

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GSTAT: An urgent necessity, and an opportunity http://indiatogether.org/articles/gstat-economy http://indiatogether.org/articles/gstat-economy Mon, 30 May 2022 15:54:10 +0000 Surya Prakash

The GST Appellate Tribunal is already much-delayed, and the apex court has directed the government to set it up swiftly. It presents a greenfield opportunity to build a completely online dispute resolution system.

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Missing the forest for the CAMPA trees http://indiatogether.org/articles/campa-trees-environment http://indiatogether.org/articles/campa-trees-environment Wed, 04 May 2022 08:15:13 +0000 Abhijit Mohanty

Global commitments and domestsic laws are driving afforestation. But conservationists argue that large scale tree plantations can do more harm than good if we overlook the nuances, and that all that is green is not forest. 

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Rajasthan, TN move towards universal health care http://indiatogether.org/articles/rj-health-health http://indiatogether.org/articles/rj-health-health Sat, 30 Apr 2022 11:46:31 +0000 Sweta Dash

The fault lines laid bare by covid have made the public and the mainstream discourse are more attentive towards the state of health care. States are taking up legislation to recognise the right to health care.

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Lands sold, jobs gained, and a new way of life http://indiatogether.org/articles/wind-tn-environment http://indiatogether.org/articles/wind-tn-environment Tue, 26 Apr 2022 04:15:51 +0000

The numerous wind farms in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu have clearly changed the rhythms of life here. The benefits and drawbacks are inter-twined, and people have mixed feelings about them.

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In Kamrup, orange growers face an uncertain future http://indiatogether.org/articles/orange-assam-agriculture http://indiatogether.org/articles/orange-assam-agriculture Mon, 21 Mar 2022 13:11:30 +0000 Ratna Bharali Talukdar

Buffeted by low prices, middlemen and uncertain rains, and lacking adequate state support, orange growers in Assam fear they will not be able to continue living off their lands much longer. 

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Why are so many housewives taking their lives? http://indiatogether.org/articles/women-suicides-women http://indiatogether.org/articles/women-suicides-women Mon, 14 Mar 2022 14:19:09 +0000 Shikha Sharma

Their high suicide rate is a substantial public health challenge. To address it, a scaffolding approach across domains is needed, as well as community involvement and awareness.

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Anticipating the use and consequences of new laws http://indiatogether.org/articles/jia-courts-laws http://indiatogether.org/articles/jia-courts-laws Tue, 08 Mar 2022 11:44:35 +0000

When a new law is proposed, it would be useful to anticipate the effects it is likely to have. Judicial Impact Assessments could help ensure that we do not exacerbate pendency and delays.

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What drives media reporting? http://indiatogether.org/articles/reader-pref-media http://indiatogether.org/articles/reader-pref-media Wed, 16 Feb 2022 08:31:49 +0000

Do reader preferences influence how the media selects what to report on? A study of media coverage of land conflicts, the Covid-19 crisis and the Farm Bills provides some answers.

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Reviving cultivation and consumption of millets http://indiatogether.org/articles/odisha-millets-agriculture http://indiatogether.org/articles/odisha-millets-agriculture Mon, 14 Feb 2022 16:01:22 +0000 Abhijit Mohanty

The emphasis on rice and wheat production for decades has steadily reduced the importance of millets. once a staple for many Indians, especially adivasis. Some states, like Odisha, are trying to change this. 

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Uttam Gram: An experiment in integrated development http://indiatogether.org/articles/donkhera-agriculture http://indiatogether.org/articles/donkhera-agriculture Thu, 27 Jan 2022 14:26:15 +0000

By simultaneously carrying out multiple development schemes in a village, can its all-round development be made sustainable? Uttam Gram, in Haryana's Donkhera village, provides answers.

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Are tigers returning to Buxa reserve? http://indiatogether.org/articles/buxa-tiger-environment http://indiatogether.org/articles/buxa-tiger-environment Mon, 24 Jan 2022 07:07:59 +0000

A camera trap sighting of a tiger suggests that ecosystem restoration in Buxa reserve is working. With it comes fresh concerns about the relocation of forest villages.

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A fuller picture of ourselves http://indiatogether.org/articles/game-change-reviews http://indiatogether.org/articles/game-change-reviews Tue, 18 Jan 2022 07:01:00 +0000 Raakhee Suryaprakash

Game Changers is more than a collection of profiles. It is an opportunity to learn the past and the present of the country in a more complete way, and understand the role women have always played in it.

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Assaulting dignity in the name of public health http://indiatogether.org/articles/novax-health http://indiatogether.org/articles/novax-health Sat, 15 Jan 2022 14:24:00 +0000 Sweta Dash

Vaccination policies involving denials of public entitlements are not based on evidence-based science, public health practices or ethics. Instead, they callously disregard the dignity of people's lives

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Farmers sell at low prices as MSP remains elusive http://indiatogether.org/articles/low-msp-assam-agriculture http://indiatogether.org/articles/low-msp-assam-agriculture Mon, 20 Dec 2021 09:18:41 +0000 Ratna Bharali Talukdar

Paddy farmers in Baksa sell their produce at low prices, finding the Minimum Support Price unreliable. The income from agriculture is inadequate, forcing them to look for daily wage work.

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