-TheWire.in The proposed redevelopment of South Delhi will bring about a surge in congestion that will not only place an unbearable burden on public infrastructure, but also destroy an already tattered map of urban space, ecology and civility. Aurobindo Marg was named after the renowned philosopher and guru, the Delhi campus of whose ashram lies alongside this road. Fittingly, driving on Aurobindo Marg today demands spiritual strength and yogic discipline. Heading south...

-Scroll.in Too ill to collect her share of PDS rice and with most of her neighbours unaware of her condition, Kunduru Nag, 68, died on June 12. Around 20 km from the district headquarters of Bargarh, Khuntpali seems to be quite developed compared to most villages in Odisha. Located in the irrigated region of the district – often referred to as the “rice bowl” of the state – Khuntpali is also...

-Livemint.com Odisha is a front-runner in women’s land ownership, much of it owing to government policies from the 1980s. But has ownership led to empowerment? Surrounded by sun-drenched paddy fields interspersed with jackfruit and banana trees, Sanakusupadu is a hamlet in Odisha’s tribal-dominated district of Rayagada. Here, almost every married woman owns land. No matter how small the holding, land documents of the 62 households in this village bear the names of the...

-The Tribune Agrarian society vs a non-agrarian economy poses a huge political challenge. JUST how many farmers are there in India? This is not merely a statistical question. This is a question of policy and political significance. We have all grown up reading about India as an agrarian economy, with a majority of its population engaged in farming. Does that continue to be the case? Or has the number of farmers declined...

-The Hindu The focus must be on waste management and recycling We celebrated ‘World Environment Day’ (June 5) with a critical theme: beat plastic pollution. Since India was the global host of this year’s event, and also one of the victims of plastic pollution, we should view this danger seriously. The theme urges governments, industries, communities and individuals to come together and explore sustainable alternatives. It also urges this target group to...