-The Business Standard   One of Sewa's triumphs is formation of the Mahila SEWA Sahakari Bank In April 10 this year, SEWA, the Self-Employed Women’s Association, which prefers to describe itself as a cooperative or trade union rather than a microfinance institution (MFI) (though it straddles both spheres), with a membership of 1.3 million women, completed 40 years of its existence. This gives us an ideal opportunity to review its historic contribution to...

-The Hindu The murder of S.P. Mahantesh, who succumbed to injuries five days after he was brutally attacked, is a gloomy reminder of the risks of being upright in an environment that stinks of corruption. It also reinforces the need to push through with the long delayed legislation to protect whistleblowers, who often reveal information in the public interest at great personal risk. Mahantesh's death is especially poignant for The Hindu...

The proposed liberalisation of the mining and minerals sector is an assault on the rightful owners of the land and its resources. Tribal and indigenous communities across the world have been asserting their rights to the mineral wealth often found under the land they own or possess or have traditional rights to. They have been historically denied even a share of that huge wealth, leave alone legal rights of ownership. Under...

-The Hindu   Moratorium to be in place till December 31, 2012 The government has decided to initiate legal action against cooperative banks and financial institutions violating the moratorium on debt relief for fish workers. Meeting Minister for Fisheries K. Babu announced this after a meeting with Minister for Cooperation C.N. Balakrishnan and chairman of the Debt Relief Commission for fish workers M.R. Hariharan Nair here on Sunday. Mr. Babu said the moratorium would remain in...

LUCKNOW: In a significant order passed by the Central Information Commission, inspection reports of banks can be disclosed under the RTIAct. And, the Reserve Bank of India cannot deny disclosing the report stating that it can have ill-effects on the economy. The CIC's order came in a case pertaining to Kanpur-based United Mercantile Cooperative Bank Ltd. in its order, the CIC stated that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) should disclose...