Though governments don’t do much! Citizens’ initiatives take roots. Citizen services? Consumer interests? Transparency, e-governance? Do you hear such words from any of the ministers? We dont hear so far! And yet, yes, there are new problems and new initiatives and opportunities opening out. Here we feature a few such services, be it municipal services,…
Bankers and farmers : Rajya Sabha debates agri issues for 5 1/2 hours.
Rajya Sabha in an unusual move debated farmers issues for five and half hours. All pointed to bankers and Nabard as guilty parties! Yes, the Economic Survey claims that the flow of credit to farm sector went up by 40 per cent as againt the govt’s target of 30 per cent. This year another 30…
A new food safety law : Unsafe foods flood the market!
Weak consumer rights movement need activation. Sudan-I dye in Indian chillies creates a scare all over the world about India’s food safety standards. World Consumers Day was duly celebrated. Unsafe foods, GM foods, potato, soya, maize based foods with no labels flood our super stores. Food eating out is growing even faster. So, there is…
India’s poor law : India’s poor politics
Hinders economic development. The Economist magazine, true to its verbal gymnastics, had called India’s much talked about employement guarantee programme (or just a promise on date?) as India’s poor law! In the same typical imperial mindset the magazine goes on to elaborate its wisdom as it see it. Of course what the Singh government is…
Agriculture problems are practical problems!
Agriculture needs practical solutions! There was recently the Rajya Sabha debate on farmers issues, farmers’s suicides for a record five and half hours. Members cutting across party lines spoke unanimously. M.S.Gill, a former Union Agriculture Secretary, being a senior authority on the subject said it is too serious a topic. So too Rajya Sabha Chariman,…
Karnataka farmers’ insurance model
Rajasthan Chief Minister visits Bangalore Meet Dr. Devi Shetty of Narayan Hrudalaya Discusses farmers insurance scheme for adoption in Rajasthan Ms. Vasundara Raje is no ordinary Chief Minister. Given her royal background and equally her son, Dhusyant Raje, an young M.P. who is also engaged back in his rural base concentrating on agriculture on modern…
Nagaland produces a human development report
For the first time, Nagaland, the North Easter region state has come out with a perspective plan for 2020. Some of the key achievements are: The “social capital” and resilience of the Naga village communities have remained intact and are beginning to help overcome several difficulties. “The village councils, village development boards and the recently…
National Urban Renewal Mission
The Central Government has formulated (or still formulating?) an urban renewal infrastructure plan for 60 selected cities in India. This, the minister concerned, Mr.Gulam Nabi Azad has said. We also believe there can’t be any rural development unless the urban development is properly planned. Whether this grand plan will succeed or when it will really…