There are two versions of the global warming story playing out at the Copenhagen summit. What you usually hear is the pop version, pushed by many NGOs and politicians. Less popular but more cogent is the scientific version, which is altogether more nuanced. The pop version claims that science has proved that global warming that will devastate the earth, that carbon dioxide is a pollutant no less than sewage or...

There is substantial capacity in the cooperative sugar sector. Reform of the sector needs transparency, enforcement of prudential norms and effective governance. Multi State Cooperatives can now become Producer Companies under the Companies Act by the Second Amendment in 2002 based on a Draft Act prepared by a Committee I chaired. As far as possible conflict of interest, reporting norms and so on need enforcement for Cooperatives as in Company...

The ongoing conflict between Maoists and government forces is disrupting the education of India's most marginalised children, a rights group says. In a new report Human Rights Watch has urged the rebels to stop attacking state-run schools. It has also asked the government to instruct its troops not to use school buildings as part of their operations. The rebels are fighting for communist rule in many indian states. Over 6,000 people...

The Copenhagen summit on global warming and climate change has commenced. Instead of a leadership role, we will now be playing a followers’ role. We fell behind the emerging consensus curve. We held on for too long to outmoded positions of merely harping on per capita emission and common-differentiated obligation while disregarding many other significant factors. The recent decision of China, announcing a 40 per cent cut in its energy...

Despite a booming economy, nutrition deprivation among India’s children remains widespread.  “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” So begins the Universal Declaration of Human Rights established 60 years ago and celebrated today around the globe. This year’s theme is non-discrimination. When it comes to nutrition, all of India’s children are not equal. According to India’s third National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) of 2005-06, 20...