-The Indian Express It did not raise its voice in protest against the midday meal deaths in Bihar In Bihar, more than 20 children died after consuming a midday meal. One would have expected largescale protests, anger, demands. But the incident has been greeted by an eerie silence. Egypt, Turkey, Brazil, India - these are some of the countries where mass protests, largely by the middle classes, have brought issues to the streets...
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A misnomer called food security -Charan Singh and Arvind Virmani
-The Indian Express The proposed bill makes false promises. The need is to directly address problems of drinking water availability, sanitation, maternal health and childcare The Food Security Bill (2013, FSB) promulgated recently by an ordinance is expected to be debated in Parliament soon. The intention behind the FSB is noble, to eradicate hunger from the country, but the means adopted need serious reconsideration. FSB, under the targeted public distribution system (TPDS),...
More »Prof. Amartya Sen, co-author of the book 'An Uncertain Glory: India And Its Contradictions' interviewed by Praveen Dass
-The Times of India Amartya Sen is angry, and clearly getting impatient . Having urged Indian policymakers over decades to do more to combat poverty, hunger and illiteracy , the economist is now taking direct aim at what he feels is our continuing apathy as a nation towards the underprivileged. But in his own way - less the firebrand rhetorician and more the gentle but firm academic don that he is....
More »Private care? -TK Rajalakshmi
-Frontline The National Advisory Council recommendations seem to be making a strong case for a major role for the private sector in the delivery of health care. THE recommendations for universal health coverage drawn up by the National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, push for public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the health delivery system but not for any inbuilt mechanisms for accountability. The NAC also...
More »Chouhan's Madhya Pradesh steals Congress’ direct benefit transfer thunder
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: As the Centre stitches together its plan to roll out the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme, BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh seems all set to achieve full coverage of some benefits through the scheme. The DBT scheme has been touted as a game-changer for the ruling Congress party in the lead-up to the general elections in 2014. Ironically, a BJP-ruled state seems to have taken the lead to...
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