2012

On February 27, the Supreme Court of India gave directions to the Union Government to constitute a special committee to take forward the controversial project of national-level linking of rivers. The Supreme Court’s judgement was highly favourable towards this project, but past experience regarding such gigantic projects would suggest the need for a lot of caution. Also, it may be recalled that the previous Union Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, had warned against the hazards of such a (…)

After much procrastination, Pakistan on February 29 decided to switch to the negative list approach for trade with India indicating its resolve to improve relations with its regional rival despite opposition from Islamic groups. This came soon after Commerce Minister Anand Sharma’s visit to Pakistan which gave a much-needed boost to India-Pakistan bilateral trade paving the way for full liberalisation of trade between the two countries, eventually culminating in the granting of the Most (…)

by HIRANMOY ROY
This article reached us late last week. It could not be used earlier due to unavoidable reasons.
At the beginning of the 12th Plan, there is a genuine expectation from the Union Budget 2012-13 that there will be far more action-orientation and policy-setting based on the present needs than populist schemes.
The infra-sector is enthusiastically awaiting some energetic stimuli as it presently struggles with the broken cash cycles and high debt leverage. So the share of (…)

Why this growing graph of abandoned-on -the-street children? Why thousands of Falaks? Why hundreds of women who have to sell off their own flesh and blood? Why the naïve get trapped into prostitution and related rackets?
You don’t have to be an investigative reporter to come to some basic conclusion, as some hard- hitting realities stand right out: C.C. Patil—Karnataka’s Women and Child Welfare Minister—was caught watching porn on a cell-phone with another of his ministerial colleagues, (…)

The results of the elections to the Assemblies of five States that went to the polls recently are out. The voters have given their verdict loud and clear. Except for Uttarakhand where it is still not clear which party would form the next State Government, there is no room for any doubt on this score in the other four States where elections were held.
Mayawati’s BSP has suffered a decisive defeat in the most populous State of UP with the Samajwadi Party of the veteran war-horse Mulayam (…)

Why is it that the Pakistanis have got such spunk that our Indian lords lack? Within a day of the United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, threatening it might be “destructive” for Pakistan to go ahead with a gas pipeline project with Iran, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar shot back that it is not Uncle Sam’s business which country Pakistan cooperates with or how it defines its national interests. What stunned me is that in the same breath Clinton also commended the Manmohan (…)

National sovereignty (meaning “complete power or authority“) is a very important issue: Consider that the word “sovereignty” combined with the word “integrity” occurs several times in the Constitution of India, in the context of law-making, citizens’ fundamental duties, Ministers’ oath of office, and oaths by judges, Members of Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies.
The Defence Forces of the Union, namely India’s military (Army, Navy and Air Force), are entrusted with the (…)

by Jos Chathukulam
I would like to appreciate the Planning Commission for widely recognising the civil society organisations and for providing space for enabling citizens to give suggestions while constructing the Approach Paper for the 12th Five Year Plan. I hope, as it is mentioned in the Draft Approach Paper, the process of consultation will continue till the draft is finalised. Please note my specific remarks and it will be confined to only three areas including overall comments.
1. (…)

From N.C.’s Writings Forty years ago the following editorial appeared in Mainstream (March 4, 1972) dissecting the Shanghai Communique concluded at the and of US President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China. This has a lasting value and is being reproduced for the benefit of our readers.
After his pilgrimage to Peking, which he pompously claims to have changed the world, Mr Nixon has landed himself in a hornet’s nest in which long-standing allies and stooges are in a state of fear (…)

by Saraswati Swain
Recently a news item on the sale of young girls in the Haryana market was flashed in the The Times of India with a photograph vividly revealing this. This brazen and despicable act is comparable to a cattle mart. A girl’s highest selling price of Rs 1000 is less than that of a cow! This incident coming to the limelight following a survey by a voluntary organisation is not an isolated one. Such events are taking place in many parts of our country even today, that is, (…)