art

Partnerships for a Cleaner "South"


Tackling the globalization of waste requires new partnerships that span national boundaries and different sectors of society, says Ravi Agrawal.




art

Cart before the horse


Videh Upadhyay reviews the predicament of the Interlinking Rivers project.




art

River basin studies: A half-hearted attempt


Impact assessment studies to understand the consequences of large dam projects have been de-linked from the actual implementation of the projects, thus diluting their value, writes Shripad Dharmadhikary.




art

Partly our responsibility too


The UNDP is correct to observe that despite the different histories of developed and developing countries, we cannot ignore the fact that it is still one planet. Darryl D'Monte reports.




art

Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai | “Settling” forest rights in “campaign mode” | For Pakistani Hindus in India, hopes start to sour


In this edition we look at a powerful documentary on the Muzaffarnagar communal riots that shook the nation in September 2013, the plight of Pakistani Hindus refugees in Delhi, the intent behind settling the forest rights claims of tribals, the crime, atrocities and discrimination against Dalits which is on  rise, the sad state of our nation's health care system, the message of Pope Francis’s latest Encyclical, and much more.




art

Forced departures


When women, of whatever class, are forced by circumstance to migrate, they expose themselves to new forms of violence and exploitation. A new UN report terms trafficking of women as migration 'gone bad' and the 'underside' of globalisation, notes Kalpana Sharma.




art

Water - heartening signs


In a nation where floods and drought continually cause havoc in different regions, two recent events, one in Rajasthan and the other in Karnataka have brought citizens and media together to resolve acute water shortages. These are hopeful signs. The India Together editorial.




art

Civil society and political parties


Third in a series of articles on civil society and governance, Jayaprakash Narayan says that political parties have to be transformed and maintains that visions of partyless democracy are unalloyed idealism.




art

Resettlement policy: promising start, and a let down


The government has recently announced its Resettlement and Rehabilitation policy. Even though there are some important improvements in it -- the move is timed during rising violence and resentment around the eastern region -- it appears to sidestep the tough questions. Shripad Dharmadhikary has the early verdict.




art

Will the Aam Aadmi Party deliver true 'swaraj'?


The initial euphoria over its emphatic electoral win over, the focus is now on realities within which the AAP will have to deliver on its promises. T R Raghunandan explores if the party can realise its vision of ‘swaraj,’ living up to the true ideals of decentralisation.




art

How ‘smart’ is Ahmedabad?


As the Prime Minister launches his vision for cities in the country, it is pertinent to ask what his record has been in the largest city of the state where he was Chief Minister before becoming PM. A recent study finds many pluses, and some minuses. Darryl D'Monte reports.




art

What is a Smart City?


Last month the government announced the list of 9 new Smart Cities, taking the total of Smart Cities to 99.  Prachee Mishra of PRS legislative takes a look at the Smart Cities Mission and a few issues with it.




art

Mothers of the Earth


The knowledge of growing conditions and nutritional traits of plants not only gives rural women a unique, crucial edge in seed selection and breeding, it also helps them maintain the genetic diversity required for adaptation to fluctuating weather. Despite this, the role of women in protecting biodiversity is largely unrecognised, writes Ramesh Menon.




art

Why Clothing Sizes Are Broken and What Startups Are Doing to Fix the Problem

Clothing sizes are broken and as shopping has shifted online, the problem has worsened. WSJ retail reporter Suzanne Kapner breaks down the issue and explains what startups are doing to solve it. Photo: oonal/Getty Images




art

Want to Change the World? Start by Making Your Bed

You want to change the world? Don't forget the little tasks in life. Adm. William McRaven, who offered that piece of advice in a landmark 2014 commencement address at the University of Texas, discusses his book, "Make Your Bed," on Lunch Break With Tanya Rivero. Photo: iStock




art

The Best of CES 2020, From S-Pods to Smart PJs

This year's CES tech show in Las Vegas might not have had an overarching theme, but it certainly was high on invention. WSJ's Katherine Bindley tries out the most interesting contraptions on display, from Segway's new personal transporter and Samsung's rotating TV to a pair of huge robotic arms and, yes, motion-tracking pajamas. Photo/Video: Emily Prapuolenis




art

White House Outlines Three Phases to Restart Economy

President Trump outlined new federal guidelines on April 17 to reopen the country, saying governors should take a "phased and deliberate approach" to restart their state economies. Photo: William Volcov/Zuma Press




art

Cruise Ship Partied On as Coronavirus Spread

Jennifer Catron boarded Carnival’s Costa Luminosa on March 5 for a transatlantic cruise. Her video diaries provide a window into life on board the ship as the coronavirus scare became a full-blown pandemic.




art

Investing 101: How to Get Started

The key is to start now. Three steps you should take.




art

'The Left parties were never our allies'

'At the moment, we don't visualise any scenario where the support of the Left will be an indispensable factor. The Congress is comfortable with its present allies. We will add to their number in the coming days.'




art

Inside Adobe’s Colorful, Redesigned Headquarters

Adobe’s headquarters in San Jose might not be what you expect from the outside–shades of gray granite. Inside, however, Gensler redesigned the space to reflect Adobe’s colorful brand, complete with a floor dedicated to Photoshop. Photo: Adobe




art

Stagnant waters: Party manifestos offer little


Water is a big local concern, but at the national level, it does not seem to figure very high up in the considerations of major parties, at least as seen in their pre-election promises. Shripad Dharmadhikary reports.




art

Not just one party or the other!


Mainstream media may play up the parliamentary contest as a battle of Goliaths, but statistical analysis reveals the true diversity in the Indian party system and the inevitability of coalitions. Srinivasan Ramani brings us the real picture.




art

Re-centering the Congress Party

The verdict of the 2009 general election has once again brought the 'centre' in Indian politics to centre-stage. India has returned to an even keel.




art

Keshubhai's party dented BJP prospects in Saurashtra

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's march towards a two-third majority was halted by the presence of Keshubhai Patel's party in Saurashtra and the saffron outfit suffered reverses in Chief Minister Narendra Modi's own backyard of north Gujarat.




art

Lakshadweep's Muslim women conquer the Earth


By bringing the benefits and the knowledge of science to their people, Haseena and Tajunnisa have helped secure the future for the resources on which their families depend. Their home, Agatti, has, now become a model, writes Papri Sri Raman.




art

The calculus of 'Cold start'


Firdaus Ahmed on the Indian Army's strategic answer to the nuclear standoff witnessed between India and Pakistan during the ten month long Operation Parakram in 2002.




art

Standing apart on common ground


As the Congress promises priority to agriculture, it needs to strike a balance between its policies and those of the Left Front. Ashok B Sharma reports.




art

Carts, kiosks and Indian retail


A number of implicit and explicit constraints influence the extent to which carts and kiosks work as avenues of creative entrepreneurship. Varupi Jain compares the Indian scenario with that in the US, and notes cultural and social realities that shape the Indian experience.




art

Artisanal weavers struggling to survive


India has made cotton fabrics for 20 centuries, and its scale in India was unimaginable. But modern market structures have pushed millions to the edge, and a few intense efforts, such as those of Dastakar Andhra, are not enough to reverse this. Darryl D'Monte reports.




art

How parties are wooing the young voter


The huge number of voters among the youth could well emerge to be the real game-changers in the parliamentary elections of 2014. Tanvi Bhatikar looks at the manifestos of the three main parties to see what they have to lure young voters.




art

How about smart villages, Mr Modi?


For over two decades now, agriculture has suffered overall neglect as successive governments, led by World-Bank prescribed growth models, have issued disproportionate doles to industry. While the present allocations do not spell much hope, Devinder Sharma suggests what the Modi government may still do to reverse the trend.




art

There are more things in heaven and earth than stock markets!


The media frenzy over Narendra Modi’s first 100 days in office is complemented by the cheer in markets, but Devinder Sharma sounds a caveat against judging the performance of the government by the standards of markets alone.




art

What will it take to make our cities really smart?


The thrust on ‘smart cities’ by PM Narendra Modi has been impossible to miss since he took over the reins. Sujaya Rathi and Shrimoyee Bhattacharya look at critical considerations to be made at the pilot stage of the evolutionary journey towards such urban centres.




art

Are there smarter ways to run our cities?


The ruling government has allocated 7,060 crores of rupees for development of smart cities, but do our realities allow for westernised ICT-driven smart cities? Darryl D’Monte dwells on what would really make our cities smart, based on deliberations at the second Urban Age conference.




art

What will it take to make our cities environment-smart?


PM Modi's vision of smart cities will remain unrealised till we have environmentally-smart urban centres, equipped to mitigate the severe chronic air pollution levels. But what will it entail? Sarath Guttikunda analyses.




art

Manufacture of a partner


Was India's emergence on the world stage a project of the superpower? And what is the role of the strategic community in keeping Indian and US interests convergent, wonders Firdaus Ahmed.




art

What’s in a Name, Part II


Varupi Jain concludes a two part series on the country's messy Geographical Indications regulatory system through the eyes of MP's Chanderi fabric, one of first serious applicants for a GI.




art

Andhra's electoral earthquake


P Sainath on the fault lines in Andhra that led to the ouster of the Chandrababu Naidu led Telugu Desam Party.




art

What the heart does not feel, ...


After 15 years of a battering from hostile policies and governments, the world of the peasant has turned highly fragile. But the onus of changing is on the farmer. Not on those driving a cruel process and system, who have only contempt for ordinary folk, writes P Sainath.




art

Jadcherla 13 draw votes from main parties


In Jadcherla, 13 candidates fought the same Assembly seat but contested for, not against one another. P Sainath reports.




art

Curtail autocratic party bosses


Jayaprakash Narayan criticizes Parliament's moves to limit diversity of opinion among lawmakers, and to appropriate all authority to a few powerful leaders.




art

Artiste and activist


Shabana Azmi's six year term in Parliament came to an end in August 2003. She spoke to Lalitha Sridhar.




art

Thwarting women in power


Thousands of women in Madhya Pradesh were elected in the last panchayat elections; since then, the story has taken a dismal turn. More than 1,300 women sarpanchs face false charges of corruption. About 50 have been removed from office through forced no-confidence motions. They have been threatened and humiliated. Shuriah Niazi reports.




art

More stories of Parivartan


Delhi's Right to Information Act (RTI) is increasingly being used by citizens to pressure offiicials into delivering on projects and services says Arvind Kejriwal.




art

Parivartan, here to stay?


This Delhi non-profit's initial success in effective enforcement of Delhi’s Right to Information Act has woken up the establishment just as much as it has informed citizens, reports Varupi Jain.




art

And Parivartan goes on...


Varupi Jain reports on the steady progress in transparency in Delhi's public distribution system.




art

Another step towards Parivartan


Ration shopkeepers won't divulge their records, Food Department officials wont file complaints, and the police wont act on their own or accept complaints from the public. But the cycle of corruption can still be broken.




art

What makes the Aam Aadmi Party tick?


Veteran journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta talks to India Together on the phone from Delhi to share his views on what the nation is talking about - the spectacular debut performance of the Aam Aadmi Party in the recent state elections.




art

For Pakistani Hindus in India, hopes start to sour


Hundreds of Pakistani Hindus have taken refuge in India, seeking a better life, especially after the present ruling party had promised in its election manifesto to make India the ‘natural home’ for  all persecuted Hindus. But has India kept its word? Devanik Saha meets the refugees to seek an answer.