A government report lends credence to the notion of “two Indias”, or the distinction between “India” and “Bharat” – a theme often debated in recent years. At a time when urban India is growing and policy makers have expressed clear preference for the trend, this report, by National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), brings India’s deep urban-rural divide into focus, showing disparities in scale and levels of expenditure and consumption and, equally...
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Activists to approach PMO on universal healthcare
-The Hindu Workshop held on recommendations of high-level panel Abolition of user fee in hospitals, 24X7 availability of healthcare services, a universal system to provide health care to all those who need it, free supply of medicines, and a strong grievance redressal mechanism. These are some of the demands that evolved out of a workshop on universal access to health care organised by Janaarogya Andolana Karnataka (JAAK) here on Wednesday. Following the recommendations of...
More »Play of interests-Jayati Ghosh
The Conflict of Interest Bill introduced in the Rajya Sabha is a welcome step to control the grey areas in which “public private partnerships” are conducted. AMONG the many things that have proliferated in the economic boom of the brash new India is conflict of interest. So widespread, comprehensive and many-tentacled has this feature become that it is often no longer even recognised to exist, much less to be a...
More »ACTA will make life saving drugs costlier for the poor-Rachit Ranjan
Joseph Munyi, a Kenyan citizen, has been living with HIV for 8 years and, much like other HIV patients, is unemployed. He has been receiving his medication free of charge on account of government programmes and outreach programmes of Medicine Sans Frontieres. His medication comes in the form of generic drugs. However, this situation may not last long as economic interests of few may end up impeding many a public spirited...
More »RTI made easy: Government to set up call centres, website for filing applications
Soon, anyone would be able to file an RTI application over the phone, with help and guidance from a call centre as well as through a website While the government is consistently blamed for diluting the RTI (Right to Information) Act in several ways besides making illogical amendments at the state level, it is gearing up to make filing of RTI applications by just making a phone call. Citizens will not...
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