Why is every fourth Indian hungry? Why is every third woman in India anaemic and malnourished? Why is every second child underweight and stunted? Why has the hunger and malnutrition crisis deepened even as India has nine per cent growth? Why is “Shining India” a “Starving India”? In my view, hunger is a structural part of the design of the industrialised, globalised food system. Hunger is an intrinsic part of the...

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's visit to Jaitapur didn't cut any ice with locals protesting the 9900 MW nuclear power project planned there. Soon after, several people were arrested in a case of rioting filed in December, the arrest of Dr Milind Desai, a local protester who was stopped by industries minister Narayana Rane while slamming the government on stage has further incensed the situation. Activists now allege that the arrests are...

Ratnagiri Collector Madhukar Gaikwad has denied permission for the two-day Independent People's Tribunal ‘public hearing' on the Jaitapur nuclear power project proposed to be held on March 6 and 7 at Niveli, one of the affected villages. Deepika D'Souza of the Tribunal said that Mr. Gaikwad, in a letter on Friday, refused permission as per orders from the police. No grounds for disallowing the meeting were given, she said. Ms. D'Souza said...

Activists opposed to a nuclear power plant in Jaitapur plan to go ahead with an “inquiry” by a people’s tribunal into environment and rights violations by the project even after 14 protesters were arrested for alleged rioting. The protesters were held over a riot that broke out in December following the death of a local resident after being hit by a police Jeep. Among those arrested is Milind Desai, a resident of...

The Centre will give CAG a place in social audit of rural job scheme and direct the states to set up directorates to train auditors from civil society. A nominee of CAG would be present in social audits that gram sabhas would conduct twice a year. CAG would also do an annual audit as part of its mandate. Coupled with the rigour of CAG's accounting, the exercise would also bring in...