Renewable energy ministry wants Rs 40,000 crore to meet 2017 target

Nov 24, 2011

The renewable energy ministry has sought a 10-fold increase in fund outlay for the next five years. The ministry estimates that Rs 40,000 crore will be required to ramp up its capacity to 30,000 MW by 2017. India’s present renewable energy capacity is

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Get women on-board for successful CSR initiatives

Nov 22, 2011

In an interesting research, a team from Harvard Business School found that companies with gender-inclusive leadership teams contributed, on average, more charitable funds. The team had examined how corporate leadership and organizational structure influence corporate social responsibility (CSR) by utilizing the most visible

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The great delusion: A world with endless water supply – Part 1

Nov 21, 2011

Water has no substitute. And this makes it the single most precious resource on Earth. So, when terms like ‘water supply’, ‘water  scarcity’, and ‘water management’ start being tossed about with more frequency  and urgency, there is a sense of dread. And incredulity,

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GAP, Walmart, C&A, H&M raise the ‘child and bonded labour’ flag with their Indian suppliers

Nov 17, 2011

Multinational retailers such as GAP, Walmart, C&A, H&M, Primark, Mothercare and Tesco have instructed their Indian suppliers to stop sourcing raw material from textile mills that employ girls under the so-called Sumangali system, a contractual arrangement that labour watchdogs allege involves unfair practices

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India gets its first-ever Child Rights Index; Kerala and Karnataka rank best

Nov 14, 2011

The Child Rights Index (CRI) published by NGO HAQ: Centre for Child Rights has placed Kerala and Karnataka at the top and Arunachal Pradesh at the bottom in protecting rights of children. The country’s first national child rights index is based on government

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Bellary miners to resume operations, CEC clears them of charges‎

Nov 4, 2011

By the end of November, 24 companies are likely to resume mining in their respective areas as a temporary sanction on their operations has been lifted by the Supreme Court (SC). According to reports, Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has cleared the names of

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Why the rise of China’s and India’s mid-sized cities is a conundrum for the green economy movement?

Nov 2, 2011

  When archaeologists recently announced that they had just discovered the ape-like remains of our primitive ancestors in South Africa, it was hailed as homo sapiens’ ‘missing link’ – the genetic bridge between modern humans and their older, less evolved predecessors. Yet, perhaps

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Neglected tropical diseases an ongoing threat in South Asia

Nov 2, 2011

A comprehensive report, published in the open-access journal Public Library of Science: Neglected Tropical Diseases, showcases the disproportionately high burden of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in India and South Asia. These diseases of poverty continue to plague the approximately 1.5 billion people living

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Upgraded rating system for green buildings launched

Oct 21, 2011

Introducing the upgraded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design 2011 (LEED 2011 for India) rating system for green buildings, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah made an appeal for developing new technologies and materials at lower prices so that

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Carbon Social Responsibility: Sourcing building materials locally

Oct 19, 2011

Monitoring carbon is a key corporate social responsibility issue. Carbon management and reduction, particularly within the built environment, construction and facilities management sector should be seen not only within sustainability/environmental terms but also as a lens to understanding wider CSR impact. In ‘Taking

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