This article explores the issue of dalits’ inclusion in the media industry. It argues that under-representation of dalits in Indian media leads to an exclusion of news on dalits. [This was presented in the “National Conference on Ethical Issues and Indian Media” held on 26 and 27 November 2010 and in Periyar University, Salem, Tamil Nadu.] [J Balasubramaniam (balumids@gmail.com) is with the Department of Journalism and Science Communication, Madurai Kamaraj University.] The basis...

The city-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), which ruled out a tsunami threat for the Indian Ocean on Friday, reconfirmed on Saturday that the sea levels in the Indian Ocean were not different from what had been anticipated. INCOIS issued the first bulletin just seven minutes after the massive undersea quake near the east coast of Honshu in Japan on Friday. The Indian Early Tsunami Warning System, based on...

Institutional apathy must not be allowed to creep into scheme Lapses can be reduced by ensuring kitchens in schools Noting diversion of funds and foodgrains under the ambitious Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Kerala, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland and Bihar, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said confirmed cases of diversion are indicative of widespread fiscal indiscipline in implementing the scheme. Institutional apathy and lack of concerted efforts should not be...

The promise of the FRA remains largely unfulfilled, says a committee set up by the Ministries of Environment and Forests and Tribal Affairs. IT seems hard for a government used to controlling most of India's common lands to let go of them. Even though it has passed a law mandating more decentralised governance of forests, the government itself is proving to be the biggest obstacle in its implementation. Other than in...

Thanks to the Right to Information Act, 2005, and also the activism of NGOs and of the media, a culture of accountability is growing in the country. That is the good news. However, the media, NGOs and RTI activists can only do so much. They can focus the attention of the public and parliamentarians on egregious scams, but rarely address the systemic flaws that result in leakage of funds. We have...