The allocations earmarked for women as a proportion of the total Union budget outlay has gone up from 3% in 2007-08 (revised estimate) to 6.1% in 2010-11 (budget estimate) It will be seven years since the government, acknowledging a gender imbalance, introduced gender budgeting in 2005-06. Ever since then, the annual budget has been accompanied by a gender budgeting statement. An analysis of the last four Union budgets reveals two things....

The Kerala Assembly has passed a landmark law that makes Coca-Cola liable for damages of up to Rs 216 crore for alleged pollution and exploitation of groundwater at its bottling plant in northern Palakkad district. A committee appointed by the state government has quantified the loss caused by the plant to the local community at Rs 216 crore since the soft drinks maker set up the unit in arid Plachimada. The previous...

The southern Indian state of Kerala has passed a new law that will allow people to seek compensation from the soft-drink giant Coca-Cola. The company is mired in controversy over its bottling operation in Palakkad district, which campaigners say has caused environmental damage. They say it has also led to a severe water shortage in the area. Coca-Cola's Indian subsidiary - Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) - has rejected the charges. In a statement, it...

Terming the food wastage at weddings and social gatherings as “criminal”, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister K V Thomas today said the government could bring a new law in this regard and also launch an awareness campaign to curb this. The minister said although the government has not conducted any study to determine the level of wastage of food at such functions like marriage events, there are reports that wastage is...

Then Clive Lloyd took over the West Indies cricket team, he knew he was no Garfield Sobers. Lloyd focused on infusing discipline and strategy sessions with the team. "Both exceptional leaders, Sobers led by example, while Lloyd built a team. I suspect Jairam Ramesh is more like Sobers," an environment analyst sums up his assessment of the minister. The Sobers analogy crops up, in explicit and implicit ways, in any...