The past couple of months have seen a renewed attack on the National Advisory Council (NAC). The NAC has been decried as an unconstitutional, undemocratic, “super-cabinet” where unaccountable “jholawalas” hatch harebrained schemes guaranteed to run the government aground. Another line of criticism has focused on the process of the formation of the NAC, its space within the Indian Constitution, and its capacity to influence policy. The two criticisms merge with...
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Intelligent design for the environment by Prodipto Ghosh
The announcement last weekend by the prime minister that an independent National Environmental Appraisal and Monitoring Agency (NEAMA) would shortly be set up has been welcomed in the media. The PM indicates that it would be staffed by professionals, will set up a new process for environmental appraisal of projects, and monitor the observance of environmental management plans. It would be a recommendatory body, subject to final decision-making by the...
More »Useless pharmaceutical studies cause real harm by Carl Elliott
Last month, the Archives of Internal Medicine published a scathing reassessment of a 12-year-old research study of Neurontin, a seizure drug made byPfizer. The study, which had included more than 2,700 subjects and was carried out by Parke-Davis (now part of Pfizer), was notable for how poorly it was conducted. The investigators were inexperienced and untrained, and the design of the study was so flawed it generated few if any...
More »New NAC Bill combines Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation & Resettlement by K Balchand
The United Progressive Alliance government on Friday unveiled its second draft Bill addressing the burning issues of land acquisition as well as rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R). The National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011, as recommended by the National Advisory Council, will make it mandatory that gram sabhas are consulted and the R&R package is executed before the acquired land is transferred. Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh...
More »Delhi school slams door on boy, RTE mocked by Manash Pratim Gohain
In the past six months, five-year-old Shivam has learnt a useful lesson, that perseverance is a great leveller - of shoes. Shivam is both the means and the end of his father's dream to give him a good life. Masseur Prem Pal Singh, 37, who left his UP hometown years ago, has seen enough of Dakshinpuri's poor lanes, and been pushed around often enough to know the value of education,...
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