Fifty-two-year-old Shanti Devi from Sarkhadi village in Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region walks 12 km every day to fill two earthen pots with water, that lasts for two days. Then she fetches water from a private bore-well after standing in
Even as the country reels under severe drought, information secured by Greenpeace through RTI suggests that the government is willing to overlook the policy meant to protect pristine forests, wildlife and the fresh-water sources in its searc
If you believe that army in Kashmir is only for killing terrorists, then here is something that will change your perception. 15 out of 30 Kashmiri students are about to enter the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), thanks to the coac
Getting a passport takes time, often a lot of time. To make it quick, the government had launched ‘Passport Seva Project’ (PSP) as a Mission Mode Project (MMP) under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP). That, however, has faile
The net worth of 64 central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) has been completely eroded by accumulated loss with their net worth turning out to be negative during 2014-15. This was noted in a financial audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor
The National Campaign for Peoples’ Right to Information (NCPRI) said that there has been no progress on anti-corruption legislations and even existing legislations and mechanisms are being undermined, as it assessed the performance of the Na
The combined effects of growing populations, rising incomes, and expanding cities will see demand for water rising exponentially, while supply becomes more erratic and uncertain, the World Bank report said. It added th
Manav Ekta Mission, an NGO founded by spiritual guru Sri M that recently concluded a cross country peace march, has decided to take care of the education of construction workers’ children. Sharing his exper
When people of Chennai go out to vote for the next state government on May 16, what will be the issues top most in their minds? Curiously, they will be thinking less about jobs, ‘good governance’, and the usual stuff, and more about tr
Delhi’s polluted air has been in the headlines for months. Now a team of researchers from University of Michigan have found that illegal battery recycling business in the capital city is adding to its polluted air increasing the airborne lea
In a written reply to the rajya sabha, minister for state for finance, Jayant Sinha said, “Determination of black money sent to foreign countries is subject to investigation and other follow-up actions by relevant law enforcement agenc
Beleaguered liquor baron Vijay Mallya put in his papers to avoid expulsion by a parliamentary panel, but his resignation was rejected on technical grounds by Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari. The Rajya Sabha ethics committee on Tue
The forest fire which has been raging in Uttarakhand for the past few days has caused widespread destruction and has left environmentalists worried. The fire has undoubtedly caused extensive damage and the impact on wildlife is still being gauged.
There are many people who believe that after Anupam Kher’s spirited defence of the prime minister at a debate in Kolkata, it is proven that there has been no intolerance in India. But the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (US
In 15-years, automobile production in India increased by 339.5 %. The total production in 2001-02 was 53,16,302, this increased to 2,33,66,246 in 2014-15, recording an absolute growth of 1,80,49,944 vehicles, according to data.gov.in.
I still vividly remember that nippy February evening in 2010 when and I and my wife drove down to a real estate broker’s office in Noida and booked our dream flat in Amrapali Silicon City, with the hope that we would, in a couple of years, s
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognisance of a complaint alleging that several people were forced and threatened to sit for political rallies in open fields under the scorching sun, for four to five hours without drinking wa
NAPM welcomed the Bombay high court’s order to demolish Adarsh society building in Mumbai and said that t
Hundreds of workers in Manika block of Jharkhand’s Latehar district have sent Rs 5 to prime minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday. They were protesting against the measly increase of NREGA wages in Jharkhand this year – from Rs 162 per day
A 1985 batch IAS officer, Kiran Soni Gupta is also an artist, writer and photographer. Selected by Harvard University for the prestigious Mason fellowship to study public policy, governance and public administration at the Kennedy School of Go
