Varupi Jain visits Delhi's famous Panchkuian furniture market, where the city's plan for its Metro transit system threatens the livelihoods of hundreds of traders.

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

Another ongoing story on the pressure being created by citizens using the Right to Information Act in Delhi, this time on the Public Distribution System's (PDS) ration shops.

Varupi Jain sums up the threats to and opportunites for the development of Delhi's Pahar Ganj.

Arvind Kejriwal on how over one hundred and fifty citizens have filed applications seeking information about PDS ration records in Delhi's Food and Civil Supplies department.

A thriving Sunday book market on pavements competes handily with trendier retailers, but must fight off the system too. Varupi Jain reports.

Delhi's roadside markets offer a wide range of goods at competitive prices, but sellers' economic security depends on extra-legal rules too. Varupi Jain reports.

Sex sells, but prevention of rape does not. Planners who take deterrence seriously could contribute in creating women-friendly urban environments, says Pratiksha Baxi.

This Delhi non-profit's initial success in effective enforcement of Delhi’s Right to Information Act has woken up the establishment just as much as it has informed citizens, reports Varupi Jain.

Varupi Jain investigates the lives of these hard labourers at New Delhi Railway Station, and finds a constant struggle for livelihood.

Varupi Jain traces the life of household and other waste in India and Germany, and finds both hope and apprehension.

Varupi Jain reports on the steady progress in transparency in Delhi's public distribution system.

Attitudes among consumers long used to pilferage and non-payment of bills, has made early attempts at privatisation only of limited use. Ranjit Devraj.

New Delhi's citizen crusaders for the state's Right to Information law are now taking their methods and inspiration to other localities, reports Varupi Jain.

Millions of Indian kids are out of school because the places that were reserved for them by law were instead given to others like you and me. That may be about to change, says Ashwin Mahesh.

A Supreme Court directive on providing parents relief from high tuition comes with an addition - a reminder that these schools are required by law to reserve 25% of their seats free for poor children. Varupi Jain reports.

Delhi's High Capacity Bus System promises enormous gains, but has been a long time coming. Dr. Geetam Tiwari of the IIT-Delhi sheds some light on the project and the difficulties in the making it happen.

Ration shopkeepers won't divulge their records, Food Department officials wont file complaints, and the police wont act on their own or accept complaints from the public. But the cycle of corruption can still be broken.

The displacement of the Panchkuyian Road furniture market by the construction of the third line of the Delhi Metro has caused much uproar for almost a year. Many threats and agitations later, the market is still physically in place but hardly anymore a place to be in. Varupi Jain reports.

The State Council for Educational Research and Training in Delhi has taken a surprisingly different approach in its preparation of text books for students in classes 6-8. Dipta Bhog was coordinator of the team for Civics books.

Unmindful of clear urban development guidelines, the Delhi municipality is replacing greenery lined pavements with tiles, followed by a yearly ritual of retiling with newer designs. Kanchi Kohli writes about the unchecked concretization.

The flower industry suffers from logistical bottlenecks and inadequate post-harvest infrastructure, but government support has focussed mostly on the growers. Varupi Jain starts at Delhi, India's apex flower market, and travels back the supply chain.

Sewer cleaners must be provided instruments to check poisonous gases, blowers to throw out polluted air, torches, gloves, etc., say government rules. But with Delhi municipal authorities ignoring safety measures, 10 workers recently died in a span of just one and a half months, reports Pankaj Chaturvedi.

In the sixth incidence of recent violence against citizens exposing corruption, Santosh (20) was attacked murderously on 30 December 2004. The Delhi government is not pursuing the wrongdoers, and has instead projected the violence as an issue between an NGO and shop owners. Varupi Jain reports.

Employees of the Delhi based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have been celebrating recently. The Padma Shri award, the Stockholm Water Prize and the Chameli Devi Jain award have come in quick succession. Ramesh Menon tracks the growth of CSE and Sunita Narain, its director.

Part of the Aravalli range, the Delhi ridge is an icon of greenery and part of the capital's heritage. But over the years, much of the ridge has disappeared, with the most recent threat coming from swanky hotels and malls. A multi-stakeholder board is supposed to protect the ridge, but is fraught with conflicts of interest. Deepa A reports.

Many Delhi roads in July-August are dotted with thousands of water-carrying, orange-clad kanwarias, devotees of Shiva. Their long journey from Haridwar finds logistical support from the government and society alike. It is a reminder that the values of mutual support and service do exist but have not penetrated deeper, notes Varupi Jain.

24/7 water for an Indian city? Unclear motives of the Delhi government in applying for a World Bank loan, possible hiccoughs in the supply anyway, and questions about the World Bank's role itself are irking a number of local NGOs and civic groups. As they increase pressure on the government to change course, Varupi Jain reports.

25 per cent of the seats in Delhi private schools are reserved for poor students, to be provided free. But this provision is dodged in numerous ways; schools claim ignorance of the law, that they can't find poor students, that poor students have to be educated separately even if admitted, and so on. Deepa A reports.

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.

In conversation with Vinita Deshmukh, Magsaysay award winner Arvind Kejriwal talks about India's RTI movement, and worries that a formidable tool of empowerment might slip out of the hands of citizens if amendments proposed by the UPA government are enacted.

The Delhi Police's booklet containing tips for women from the Northeast to be safe in the capital exposes only their own need for sensitivity training. Not surprisingly, many northeastern students in Delhi are incensed at being portrayed as responsible for their own problems, writes Kalpana Sharma.

The sulphur content of diesel in India is 350 particles per million, twenty times that of the United States. Diesel exhaust is far more hazardous than petrol exhaust. Yet, diesel cars in Indian cities are rising with the association of automobile manufacturers pushing hard for it. Darryl D'Monte has more.

In Delhi, it is not just private old-age homes that have people queuing up, despite the relatively steep rates. Government-run old-age homes, which are far more modest, are also filled to the capacity. Swapna Majumdar reports on a changing society.

In the name of housing Commonwealth Games participants for a mere 10 days, an exclusive gated community is being established on the Yamuna banks, in areas previously protected as green spaces in the heart of Delhi. Kannan Kasturi reports.

The Delhi Metro chief's recent letter to the Planning Commission, warning that Hyderabad's model for its Metro could lead to a political scandal overlooks the subsidies his own organisation has received, writes Sunil Jain.

These kids can hold their own on sensationalism in the media. Why? Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's vision of journalism, they help put together a newspaper called The Yamuna. Shobha S V has more.

Monsoon reawakens Vasundhara Chauhan’s senses as she soaks in the smell and sound of rain, irresistible mangoes, pakodas, and what not.

We now have data that establishes that due to the fear of violence and harassment many women do not have the autonomy to freely move in a variety of public spaces, writes Kalpana Sharma.

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.

It will require a change in the DNA and design of the city for a reduction in the number of rapes in Delhi. Addressing the structural problems of Delhi is a critical component of improving the situation, argues Jacob John.

It will require a change in the DNA and design of the city for a reduction in the number of rapes in Delhi. Addressing the structural problems of Delhi is a critical component of improving the situation, argues Jacob John.

The Indian capital with its chauvinistic society and sordid history of crimes against women is the last place that one would imagine women to be attracted to. Zumbish talks to women who live and work in Delhi to know their thoughts on the city.

Veteran journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta talks to India Together on the phone from Delhi to share his views on what the nation is talking about - the spectacular debut performance of the Aam Aadmi Party in the recent state elections.

The translation of support for the Aam Aadmi Party into votes in the Delhi Assembly Elections 2013 augurs well for the Indian democracy, long struggling to break free from a corruption-ridden, archaic political establishment, writes R. Balasubramaniam

Debates on a paradigm shift in Indian politics have primarily seen arguments around the feasibility of change, even as they took its desirability as given. Shankar Jaganathan celebrates the developments which promise a triumph for idealism and show its potential of being translated into reality.

In a rare occurrence in the Indian electoral scene, a losing party is not only hogging a larger share of the limelight but also apparently bringing about real changes in the way that politics has been practised in the country. Anoo Bhuyan analyses the real impact of the Delhi elections.

The question foremost on the minds of both believers and sceptics now is whether AAP will be able to keep its lofty promises to the people. Subramaniam Vincent feels that this may not require rocket science, after all.

Not least among the problems in the national capital is the lack of road safety for pedestrians and those using non-motorised transport. Shambhu Ghatak presents data exposing the stark reality of commute in Delhi and outlines recommendations made to improve the situation.

As media reports on abuse of domestic help become increasingly frequent, Shoma A Chatterji draws attention to a documentary that reveals the shocking realities of children and young people trafficked for employment as servants in upper and middle class homes, primarily in Delhi.