The 17th Conference of Parties (COP) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) is being held in Durban, South Africa, from November 28 to December 9, 2011.   Urgent action is required to arrest the inexorable rise in global CO2 emissions. What are the issues before this important international meeting on Climate Change?   The last meeting of the COP was held in Cancun, Mexico, in December 2010. The 17th COP will...

Even as a controversy is raging over the government decision to allow FDI in retail, activity is seen on the food security front, with several parties proposing to join a “Jan Manch” (public discussion) about the proposed National Food Security Bill organised here on Tuesday. “Almost all political parties have confirmed their participation” in the event being organised by the Right to Food Campaign, human rights activist Kavita Srivastava told a...

-The Hindustan Times   Five of the six civil society members appointed by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to bring the rebels to the Dialogue table withdrew themselves from the job on Monday, citing unfavourable conditions in Jangalmahal. This has come four days after CPI(Maoist) central committee member Kishenji was killed by the security forces on Thursday. "We have expressed our helplessness and inability to the chief minister," said a statement signed...

What is our national aim? To my mind, our national aim must be to make India a highly prosperous country for its citizens, and for that it is necessary to have a high degree of industrialization.  Even setting up and running a single primary school requires a lot of money, e.g. for buying land, erecting the school building and providing for the recurrent expenditure for salaries of teachers, staff, etc. We...

-Mainstream Weekly   We, the concerned citizens, feel deeply disturbed by the continued acrimony, tension and violence in the Junglemahal area of West Bengal. After the change of government in the State it was hoped that a Dialogue between the new government and the Maoists in the Junglemahal would commence which would address the real problems affecting the people of the area and lead to their solution. This would set an example...