-Down to Earth Draft national Health policy which proposes making Health a fundamental right also envisages increased role of community in planning and implementing Health services The Union Health ministry has released the draft of the new Health policy, which proposes a National Health Right Act. If implemented, the law may prove to be a milestone for Health services in the country. The ministry has given the public time till February 28 to...

-Economic and Political Weekly The key to improving the quality of Healthcare services in India and reducing costs at the same time can be found by enacting legislation which lays down minimum standards of patient care. In the absence of such standards and the reluctance of Health insurance companies to standardise either price or quality, Healthcare services continue to be expensive and of doubtful quality. Developing standards of patient care by...

-The Hindu The absence of state accountability is at the core of issues facing tribal communities The Report of the High Level Committee on Socio-Economic, Health and Educational Status of Tribal Communities of India, under the chairmanship of sociologist Virginius Xaxa, was circulated last week. The 431-page report details the situation of tribal communities: Scheduled Tribes, de-notified tribes and particularly vulnerable tribal communities. Taking on board the findings and demands of social...

-The Hindu MHA says it will not compromise on national interest After taking action against the international environment group Greenpeace, the government has clamped down on four American NGOs working in the same field - Avaaz, Bank Information Centre (BIC), Sierra Club and 350.org. Over the past month, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to stop all foreign funding into the accounts of these NGOs...

-The Indian Express The first nine months of the new BJP government has only underscored its anti-poor, anti-rural image. The substantive and substantial changes in rural development have been restrictive in nature. The new government has worked to undermine the legal and financial framework of MGNREGA, substantially weakened the provisions of the land acquisition act through an ordinance and, through year-end budget cuts, they have undermined almost every social sector programme, reportedly...