-The Hindu Business Line Reservations for SC/STs may not impact redistribution as much as they can alter social prejudices and hierarchies. June 5, 2012: This year, India celebrates the 20th anniversary of the 73rd amendment. One of the most striking aspects of the modern Panchayati Raj defined by the amendment is the systematic reservation of political positions (pradhans, sarpanchs, and ward members) for villagers from the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SC/ST)....
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Been there, done that-Santosh Singh
-The Indian Express Only the names of the patients have changed. Acute encephalitis syndrome is back in Bihar, hitting the same districts as every year, its victims once again mostly children of Mahadalit communities living in various degrees of poverty, their resistance levels lowered by malnutrition and exposure to heat. And the government response has been repetitive to the point of being ritualistic. It has asked for Central assistance and set up...
More »World close to ending polio, yet it's a tough foe
-AP Less than four months ago the world was cheered to learn that India had gone a full year with no new cases of polio, a landmark that left only Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria on the World Health Organization's list of countries where the disease is endemic. But the battle is far from over, judging by the WHO's latest expressions of alarm. It says that in both Nigeria and Afghanistan the number...
More »‘Fuel consumption rising mainly due to poor roads'-K Balchand
Amidst the raging politics on petroleum pricing, a report has established that the country was losing Rs. 87,500 crore because of poor roads and tolling systems annually. The figure gains significance against the backdrop of desperate attempts by the Union government to curb the subsidy outgo on petroleum products that puts a drain of about Rs. 1.38 lakh crore on the exchequer. Going by the report, prepared by IIM-Calcutta on behalf of...
More »Chandigarh gets Asia’s first RTI library
-The Times of India CHANDIGARH: If you wish to see, possess or deposit papers related to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, then here is good news for you. A library of RTI documents, touted as Asia's first, was inaugurated at Dwarka Das Library, Lala Lajpat Rai Bhawan on Friday. The library has been formed by Servants of People's Society in association with the Citizens' Voice and RTI Users' Association. Interestingly, it...
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