The situation that Maheshwar Project is in, brings sharply into focus the issue of accountability of those responsible for the decisions that impact millions of people, involve thousands of crores of rupees and vast natural resources. Shripad Dharmadhikary hopes that Maheshwar would also offer a chance to demonstrate how those liable for the mess can be held accountable.

In ensuring that Delhi's roads and lanes are stiff with quality, citizens are facing stiffer resistance from the muncipality's officials, says Arvind Kejriwal

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Timarpur Waste Management Company Pvt. Ltd., have proposed a waste incineration plant to treat the city's solid waste and generate 6 MW of electricity. TWMPCL has applied to a United Nations body for tradable carbon credits. Gopal Krishna finds much wrong in the proposal.

The Supreme Court has ordered a go-slow on waste-to-incineration technology that may be potential harmful to public health, but the MNRE is guided more by its focus on tackling urban waste. Kanchi Kohli reports.

Every year the Knight fellowships program at Stanford University awards eight international fellowships for journalism innovation. This year, one of the eight is your own newsmagazine’s co-founder.

Hundreds of Pakistani Hindus have taken refuge in India, seeking a better life, especially after the present ruling party had promised in its election manifesto to make India the ‘natural home’ for  all persecuted Hindus. But has India kept its word? Devanik Saha meets the refugees to seek an answer.

For decades now the beautiful state of Manipur has been suffering from the violent insurgency and the excesses of the Indian army. Pushpa Achanta visits the state and narrates her experiences which shows how much is not known about the state or its people.

The shocking physical abuse inflicted on police horse Shaktimaan has rightly created a furore in society. But cruelty towards animals does not just manifest itself in stray, isolated incidents. Shoma Chatterji draws attention to the treatment of animals in film making and stresses the need for strict monitoring.

The women of Meghpar village of Kutch District are fighting the big port town Gandhidham municipality which is dumping its waste in their village. Vimal Kalavadiya and Shvetangini Patel report from Kutch.

It has been more than nine months since a political crisis has snowballed into a battle between the tribals and the non-tribals of Manipur creating sharp divisions. Ramesh Menon surveys the fragile situation.

A brief overview of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 by PRS legislative.

While stonewalling their demand to broadcast news, the I&B Ministry has said CR stations can air AIR bulletins instead. Geeta Seshu reports.

Shoma Chatterji reviews a beautiful short film Amma Meri that was screened recently in a film festival.

The Dhanbad and Jharia regions in Jharkhand, noted for rampant coal mining and related operations, face grave environmental issues due to dumping of pollutant by-products from coal washeries. Shripad Dharmadhikary reports after a visit to Dhanbad.

A state-wide campaign called “Yojana Banao Abhiyan” undertaken to plan for NREGA implementation in Jharkhand has sensitized the people and authorities to the potential of the scheme and recharged local democratic institutions. Ankita Aggarwal reports.

The struggle in Kashipur against mining in sacred adivasi lands is just one example of an India we cannot forget, says Kalpana Sharma. Economic progress comes at a cost. But we can still ask whether the cost has to be borne by people who will never see the benefits of such progress.

The Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court has found illegalities in central government clearances to Sterlite Industries' bauxite mining project in Orissa. The committee has recommended (to the apex court) against diversion of forestlands for the project. Kanchi Kohli reports.

Thousands of miles away from India, the Norwegian Government's pension fund has recognized what has gone wrong with a global corporation's mining interests in Orissa's Niyamgiri hills. But the decision will be made in the Supreme Court, and things do not look promising, notes Kanchi Kohli.

Once-young fighters from Sri Lanka are now mostly family men entrenched in Malkangiri town. The way the one-time, once-brash warriors have woven themselves into the community is touching, writes P Sainath.

Why bother complying with regulations if a committee can decide that it didn't matter much that the law was bypassed? MoEF finds itself on the backfoot, after its experts look away from the law. Kanchi Kohli reports.

The battle between Sterlite Industries and tribal communities over mining in the Niyamgiri hills may not be just over yet, but the most recent Supreme Court judgment empowering the gram sabha has come as a temporary reprieve for the people. Kanchi Kohli reports.

The report of the Roy Paul Committee set up by the MoEF to examine and act on the earlier judgment of the Green Tribunal recommends several studies and assessments, but few of those seem to have been considered in the most recent appraisal. Kanchi Kohli reports.

With numerous court cases, regulatory rulings and pending environmental clearances behind it, the South Korean steel major POSCO still persists with its plans in India. Kanchi Kohli looks at the latest in the case and wonders why.

Rejection of regularisation of mines operating beyond lease areas, and compensation for other violations being used for tribal welfare are among the recommendations of a recent report on mining in the state. Kanchi Kohli places the key points in context.

Shripad Dharmadhikary explains why setting up a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi Water Dispute will not help the people or the river.

Firdaus Ahmed provides insights from the subcontinent's brush with 'war' last year -- Operation Parakram.

For over two months, young Manipuris have boycotted schools and colleges in the state. Two killings in broad daylight in Imphal, including one allegedly custodial, have resulted in the deadlock. Thingnam Anjulika Samom has more.

The International Day of Peace, celebrated on September 21 every year, has little meaning for people living in conflict areas. Like the Manipuri women, Anjulika Thingnam talks to, who feel that decades-old violence in Manipur has not only increased but taken many different forms.

With the news increasingly slanted towards the rich, public health takes a back-seat while the concerns of the few are overblown. SARS is the first of many signs in the media of this disparity, says P Sainath.

In the Nandesari industrial area and surrounding it, the chemical pollution that has accompanied years of industrial growth has ravaged agriculture and public health. Surekha Sule reports.

At an international forum earlier this month, government claims of progress on providing water and sanitation were challenged by a number of NGOs. Darryl D'Monte reports.

Vultures are nature's scavengers and their effectiveness in disposing off dead cattle has been a critical public health safeguard in India. But with the sub-continent losing 95% of its vulture population in just 15 years, scientists and conservationists have been scrambling to understand why, and propose remedies. Darryl D'Monte has more.

Only strategic moves arising from paradigm shifts can bring about purposeful movement away from illusions of ‘normalcy’, says Firdaus Ahmed.

More than the revocation of the AFSPA from a few areas, what is crucial is ending the culture of impunity and the pattern of lawlessness it has spawned. Freny Manecksha reports.

The atrocities inflicted upon women in the strife-ridden Valley and the fear and oppression under which they live continuously are poignantly depicted in Ocean of Tears, a documentary reviewed by Shoma A. Chatterji

On the streets in Guwahati, there are thousands of children outside the reach of the normal schooling system. Many have run away from their homes, and most must work to make ends meet. Ratna Bharali Talukdar reports on the challenges of bringing them into the mainstream.

At the Guwahati IOC Refinery, labour is divided between organised and unorganised workers, with social and cultural factors at play too. How do the unions handle complex issues? Is there a workers unity? Sriram Ananthanarayanan digs deeper.

It has been happening for several years under the nose of the Haryana administration. The nation's top government auditor has issued multiple indictments. And yet they have polluted recklessly. Himanshu Upadhyaya tells the tale.

The shift in the Central Government’s policy regarding the pricing and allocation of foodgrains has severely impacted Kerala’s Public Distribution System, which had for long been hailed as a fine model in the country. M Suchitra reports.

The budget reflects our continued affliction for numbers and the GDP growth rate. It also follows the Prime Minister's insistence that planners shoot for higher growth rates, especially on the back of an economy that has surprised everyone. But, asks Sudhirendar Sharma, will the juggling of numbers do it?

Even as the state government refuses to accept the cause behind the recent 50 starvation deaths reported by the media, hunger stalks the people of Balangir and other KBK districts in Orissa portending more such tragedies, writes Pradeep Baisakh.

A survey among beneficiaries of the National Social Assistance Programme shows that while it does provide succour for many, a lot remains to be done for it to become sufficient social security for the masses. Anindita Adhikari reports on the survey findings.

Women of a small village in Uttar Pradesh are weaving not just colorful yarn but also communal harmony in their region. Swapna Majumdar reports.

In brothels of West Bengal, there is high awareness of the risk to HIV. Women are not taking any chances. Response to the newly introduced female condom is picking up. Sumita Thapar reports.

Its demand for water is ever-growing, and its usage wasteful. Using its political and economic power, however, Delhi is quenching its thirst by extracting it from places near and far. Shripad Dharmadhikary reports on the proposed Renuka Dam.

The bi-monthly book review journal Biblio celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Its founder editors, Darryl D’Monte is one of its founder editors, were invited to the Chandigarh Literature Festival, which was held earlier this month. D’Monte talks about an interesting book discussion he chaired at the festival.

Kris Herbst profiles how David Green has propelled Aurolab into a model corporation that manufactures 'expensive' medical products at rock-bottom prices.

The rape of a schizophrenic girl at NIMHANS reveals a wide gap between the rhetoric and reality of mental health care in India.

Shipra Saxena on Midnapore's strides in implementing a government and UNICEF sponsored rural sanitation scheme, in West Bengal.

As soft drinks manufacturers wage a public relations battle to counter accusations of poisoning consumers, fruit juice sellers sieze an unexpected boon. Ranjit Devraj reports.