Bina Kalindi, a fourteen-year-old girl, has been fighting a battle against child marriage in her village Purulia, West Bengal, for years now. She diligently goes from door to door, spreading awareness and convincing families of the ills of this social evil. She was just twelve when she resisted her father’s efforts to get her married…
Foreign contribution of nearly Rs 40,000 crore has been received by 77,000 NGOs across the country in four years beginning 2005-06. During financial year 2005-06, altogether 18,650 NGOs received Rs 7,889.12 crore, while 19,462 NGOs received Rs 11,111.12 crore in 2006-07, Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran confirmed in Rajya Sabha today. Rs 9,723.96…
The cold hard truth, as we know, is that the mismanagement and over-consumption of natural resources is unsustainable. According to UNEP’s International Resource Panel (IRP), we need to decouple human well-being from resource consumption by linking local or national development strategies to resource flow strategies. Their analysis concludes that by 2050 the level of resources…
As Anna Hazare’s fast entered its eighth day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to him, urging to end the stir. Singh promised that his views on the Lokpal bill would be considered. Here is the exact text of the letter: ‘Over the last few days, I have watched with increasing concern the state of your…
The latest National Family Health Survey gives out ignominious figures on the extent of violence perpetrated against women in India. In the 15-49 age group, 35.4 per cent of all women and 40 per cent of married women have experienced physical or sexual violence. Thus, on an average basis, one in three Indian women between…
While the government of India is all set to announce the much-debated ‘companies bill’ that will have a clause making spending towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) mandatory, a KPMG survey has revealed that not many companies are prepared for the same. The findings of the KPMG India Corporate Responsibility Survey 2011 show that only 16…
Avid RTI and anti-corruption activist Shehla Masood was shot dead yesterday by an unidentified gunman in the northern Indian city of Bhopal. The fatal episode happened outside her home as she was just about to drive to an Anna Hazare protest meet. Masood, known for her zealousness for wildlife conservation, had filed at least 40…
Indian Railways has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to tap into the potential of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in locomotives, workshops, and factories. This will help Indian Railways to reduce diesel consumption, cut down on CO2, and make significant operational savings. According to a railway official, Indian Railways is…
When an established cinema actor”and one who hails from one of the ‘first’ ‘Bollywood’ ‘families’”asserts that he will not permit his daughter to join the same industry that has earned him and his family wealth, fame, and adulation (and the attendant by-products), the mind comes to a standstill. At least for a second or so….
Keeping the pressure on to bring the prime minister and the higher judiciary within the ambit of the proposed Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare’s team says that it wants non-government organizations (NGOs) to be kept out of its purview – or at least those that are not government-aided. In a meeting with the parliamentary standing committee on…
