As government, corporates seek to engage with NGOs, they gain new significance Brave NGO World?     * The Planning Commission is courting NGOs for policy inputs, views on how to make plans work     * NGOs and local activism forced govt to stall Vedanta, Posco plans     * NGO opposition to snacks being served in schools changed plans to scrap hot meals     * NGO have made the government rethink the Polavaram dam project    ...

The countrywide share of corporate retail in food distribution tripled in the past four years when retail food prices showed the greatest increase. THE dramatic increase in food inflation over the past two years has been associated with several surprises. One major surprise has been how the top economic policymakers in the country have responded to it. The initial response was one of apparent disbelief, followed very quickly by the...

Stir likely to be intensified if project gets green signal With the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests set to take a final decision on the proposed steel plant project of Posco-India Private Limited on Monday, Orissa villagers facing displacement have decided to intensify their agitation if the Ministry order went in favour of the company. That a majority of villagers in the three gram panchayats of Dhinkia, Gadakujang and Gobindpur in...

The Manesar Industrial Welfare Association has extended its support to the villagers who have been staging a protest against the states recent land acquisition plan, which has effectively zeroed in on several villages near the IMT. Representatives and residents of over 10 villages in Manesar have joined hands with MIWA and are urging the rest of the industrial community in Gurgaon and Manesar to support them against the HSIIDC. More than 1800...

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad todayflayed police lathicharge against the farmers during protestagainst inadequate land acquisition at Nabi Nagar in Bihar''sAurangabad district two weeks ago and equated the incidentwith ''Nandigram'' violence in West Bengal four years ago. Claiming one person was killed in police action atNabinagar, Prasad said "the Bihar government should put inplace a proper land acquisition policy to prevent places instate from becoming Nandigram". Official sources, however, had confirmed that 25farmers...