Second a series of articles on civil society and governance, Jayaprakash Narayan describes the prevailing situation.

Beginning a series of articles on Civil society and governance, Jayaprakash Narayan connects the dots that brought activism into the Indian state in 1947, the results of which we are feeling even today.

A Lok Satta report on the recently concluded AP signature campaign that met and exceeded the target of 10 million (one crore) signatures, indicating the support for local government empowerment amidst citizens.

Members of parliament find many uses for their constituency development funds, but a number of these are simply photo-ops for the incumbents.

Elections 2004 are around the corner and Jayaprakash Narayan points out that the 'hate-politicians' attitude is perilous to democracy itself.

We need to think about how RTI could be used to ensure more "systemic" solutions, where the performance of our government institutions are discussed in a regular, predictable manner says Ramesh Ramanathan.

The Maharashtra elections are just around the corner and analyses are beginning to emerge on candidate background disclosures. But not long ago, 541 MPs were elected to the Lok Sabha. Samuel Paul and M Vivekananda of the Public Affairs Centre report findings from an analysis on our MPs' backgrounds.

When Executive Engineer S K Nagarwal reported corruption in railway track laying in West Bengal, his saga with colluding officials and contractors began. Now, supported by the S K Dubey foundation, a citizens' forum has sprung up to protect Nagarwal and other whistleblowers. Varupi Jain reports.

Quick identification of the London bombers of 7/7 and early success in making an arrest testifies to an excellent investigation by Scotland Yard. In contrast, getting photographs, fingerprints and other records from government departments are far more difficult for India's police detectives, says Arvind Verma.

One month ago, on June 27, Vadodara and surrounding areas received the first monsoon rains after a 15-day delay. Citizens spent the first two days of rains in jubilation. On the third day, things went wrong. Surekha Sule assesses the recent floods that devastated one of Gujarat's leading cities.

Environmental clearances in India have always raised questions, as noted in many reports in India Together. For years now, NGOs have opposed the Ministry of Environment, sometimes bitterly. Last year, the Ministry proposed a 're-engineered' regulation, and found a new opposition - the state governments. Kanchi Kohli has more.

Two years after being appointed to the National Advisory Council, Aruna Roy has decided to decline a new term. While expressing happiness over some of the work the NAC has been able to do in the past, she now believes that the space for the advisory body to function as a forum for public consultation has diminished.

Our organically grown urban areas are very close to being the ideal mixed-land-use places that the West is now attempting to create. To leverage this phenomenon, there must be incentives to encourage development in the inner cities instead of in sprawling suburbs, writes Madhav Pai.

Still dodging the constitutional requirement for devolution of powers to local bodies, the Centre is now demanding that cities fall in line with the 74th Amendment. The National Urban Renewal Mission is deeply flawed, and civic groups that have proposed steps to rectify it should be heeded, writes Kathyayini Chamaraj.

The Supreme Court issued six directives in 2006 on bringing about police reforms in the states to make the police free from political interference and accountable to the citizens. Kathyayini Chamaraj analyses the state governments' responses and finds much amiss.

The government has recently announced its Resettlement and Rehabilitation policy. Even though there are some important improvements in it -- the move is timed during rising violence and resentment around the eastern region -- it appears to sidestep the tough questions. Shripad Dharmadhikary has the early verdict.

Jhunjhunu's example can be emulated by other towns of this size. The work of the local groups has been diluted by institutionalisation, but mobilising people continues to pay dividends, writes Kalpana Sharma.

Four years on, positives seem to be weighed down by negatives -- thanks mainly to the aggressive land acquisition for mega real estate projects by the ruling LDF coalition. P N Venugopal wonders if the government’s confidence is at its low ebb.

Integrity, in the job of the Prime Minister, demands putting national interest above partisan politics and personal loyalties. By that standard Manmohan Singh can't be called a "man of integirty", writes Madhu Purnima Kishwar.

Contrary to popular imagination, there are not that many migrants coming to Mumbai in search of jobs anymore. Planners and politicians need to introspect on why, writes Darryl D'Monte.

Six years ago the Supreme Court issued a detailed order listing the steps needed to insulate police work from politics, and to make it more accountable. But the progress since then has been slow. Navya P K reports.

Over the past few years, demands for change have been getting louder in India. But when you have a political system which is not willing to run with this new tide, the cost of this transition is going to be much higher, says Pratap Bhanu Mehta, calling the Congress party a monarchy and the BJP a church.

A complete and accurate database of dams and rivers in the country is the first pre-requisite for analysing hydrological issues and safety, but an analysis by Himanshu Thakkar shows that the authority entrusted to maintain such records clearly has a long way to go.

The CAG Audit of the MGNREGS reveals serious irregularities and glaring discrepancies in the data in its MIS and actual paper records maintained. Shambhu Ghatak discusses the glitches, especially in the light of findings of several other reports and the National Sample Survey data.

Blanket surveillance of the kind envisaged by India's Centralized Monitoring System achieves little, but blatantly violates the citizen's right to privacy; Snehashish Ghosh explores why it may be dangerous and looks at potential safeguards against such intrusion.

The draft River Basin Management Bill 2012 has been crafted with good intentions but threatens to be counter-productive unless the critical need for decentralisation of power is addressed; a review by Shripad Dharmadhikary.

The labelling of Arvind Kejriwal as ‘anti-Narmada’ by political cadres in Gujarat is only in keeping with a long-standing culture of discouraging any dialogue on the river itself and gagging dissent at large, says Himanshu Upadhyaya.

In view of the alleged corruption in rehabilitation of affected families, the Jabalpur HC has imposed a stay on the decision to raise the height of the Narmada dam further. Recalling the history of the project till date, Himanshu Upadhyaya asks why a higher dam should be considered at all.

Municipal corporations in India have neither any grip on the number of staffers employed and their skillsets nor any mechanism to ascertain these. Madhavi Rajadhyaksha discusses several studies including the ASICS from Janaagraha to expose what ails urban local bodies.

A Consortium of 7 IITs is working on a plan that will form the basis for the long-term vision for the government’s much-talked about Ganga rejuvenation programme. Shripad Dharmadhikary reviews an initial summary released by the Consortium as the framework within which the final plan will be drawn up.

With the thrust on Ganga rejuvenation, rivers in India have become the focus of attention from several international players. Manoj Misra points out how this may explain some recent statements from the government's partner in Yamuna restoration, JICA.

Despite the simplistic articulation of teachers' roles and teaching, including that by PM Modi, and the alignment of education to a broader nationalistic agenda, could there be potential ‘teachable moments’ under the new regime? Shivali Tukdeo and Savitha Suresh Babu explain.

Across Europe, as economies find themselves tottering in the face of deepening financial and social crises, various alternative initiatives are gaining ground, providing hope for a different future.  Ashish Kothari writes on some of these.

As the Prime Minister launches his vision for cities in the country, it is pertinent to ask what his record has been in the largest city of the state where he was Chief Minister before becoming PM. A recent study finds many pluses, and some minuses. Darryl D'Monte reports.

The draft notification specifying emission standards for coal-based thermal power plants is a welcome first step towards regulation, but needs much greater attention to detail and further calibration, writes Debadityo Sinha.

The Ishrat Jahan case has again hit the headlines with former home minister P Chidambaram being accused of rewriting an affidavit to prove the 19-year-old’s innocence. Ramesh Menon presents a recap and investigates where things stand now.

A recent report suggests merging the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) into a new organisation to be called the National Water Commission. Shripad Dharmadhikary comments on the report.

A new notification from the ministry lays out a process by which illegal units can be granted clearance and “brought into compliance” within the next six months. Manju Menon and Kanchi Kohli report.

Last month the government announced the list of 9 new Smart Cities, taking the total of Smart Cities to 99.  Prachee Mishra of PRS legislative takes a look at the Smart Cities Mission and a few issues with it.

Without a serious commitment from the government, and plagued by operational difficulties in managing its sheer size, the plan to improve school attendance through the provision of lunches for students has gone awry in Uttar Pradesh. Puja Awasthi reports.

While Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has managed to push centre-stage the key concerns of 'universal literacy' and 'elementary education for all', a spirited pitch for its implementation is necessary to ensure that it does not remain floundering in India's most populous state. Puja Awasthi reports.

On Independence day, a District Magistrate in U.P. handed over three teachers of a primary school to the police, during a surprise school visit. School children are among the worst sufferers in the state; they continue to pay for a system they neither moulded nor understand. Puja Awasthi reports.

While the old town is chaotic and crowded, on the other side the roads are wide and well maintained. There appears to be a complete disconnect between the two halves of Mirzapur, writes Kalpana Sharma.

A recent report by Human Rights Watch, No Tally of the Anguish provides a much-needed exposure of the real story behind averages and official data about maternal mortality, writes Kalpana Sharma.

If you keep water standing in a glass for a while here, it causes a stain around the rim. Pamela Philipose describes the tribulations and ordeal of women in Mamana village of Uttar Pradesh, as they fight to collect potable water everyday.

The National Campaign for the People's Right to Information is asking citizens to put pressure on the Prime Minister to deliver on the UPA government's promise of bringing in a 'progressive, participatory and meaningful' right to information law.

Lawmakers at New Delhi recently passed the Right to Information Bill. The legislation provides for an information commission with powers to enforce transparency. An officer who delays disclosure will be liable to pay a penalty of Rs 250 for every day's delay. Prakash Kardaley is optimistic about the bill about to become law.

Civil society candidates should be eligible for appointment to key RTI posts in the States and the Centre. We must apply for such jobs, and help improve the system, writes Krishnaraj Rao.

The new head of the nation's highest body for enforcement of the Right to Information Act has himself been appointed with little public awareness of the process or criteria used for his selection, writes Krishnaraj Rao.

Niyamat Ansari fearlessly sought to secure for people their rights under the law. The political economy around the delivery of those rights, however, proved too vicious, and he was killed. Simrin Makhija reports.