20-11-2009 Bundelkhand region in India has been reeling under drought for quite some time now. The central government’s special drought mitigation package of more than Rs 70 billion for the next three years promises to bring relief to the people.
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19-11-2009 Both Sinhala and Tamil Sri Lankans want to leave the country for reasons of security and to seek better economic opportunities abroad. While some go through legal channels, there are many who take an illegal route at great personal risks.
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19-11-2009 The Indian government has ordered hundreds of paramilitary troops into eastern parts of the country where Maoist rebels have increasingly been taking control, writes Mark Tully, former BBC Delhi correspondent. There is tremendous resentment among the tribals at their neglect by successive governments, he adds.
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19-11-2009 World Toilet Organisation head, on his India visit to celebrate the World Toilet Day, says there is need to raise global awareness on sustainable sanitation. He points out privatisation can help toilets in India to catch up with growing standards of living.
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19-11-2009 WHO is targeting to eradicate polio from Afghanistan within next two years. Much of it will depend on how smoothly the agency is able to carry out its six-round immunisation drive.
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18-11-2009 Women's political participation is a fundamental prerequisite for gender equality and genuine democracy, says Ines Alberdi, executive director, UNIFEM in an interview with Pamela Philipose. She avers that a lot has been achieved but there is still a great deal more to do.
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18-11-2009 Afghanistan, Iraq, India, Somalia, Myanmar are among the most corrupt nations of the world, says Transparency International’s new annual index. The report says that countries plagued by long-standing conflicts tend to be most corrupt because of the collapse of governance infrastructure.
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18-11-2009 In Nepal, the failure of the government to investigate and prosecute extrajudicial killings during the country’s civil war (1996-2006) continues to haunt the families of victims. The UN and the rights activists say that this has perpetuated a culture of impunity.
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17-11-2009 A five-member civil society delegation met India’s minister of environment and forests to present a women’s charter on climate justice. They conveyed their concerns to press the need for a people’s agenda to protect the interests of the masses both at the domestic and international fronts.
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17-11-2009 Millions of babies are born each year the world over, who are not granted any birth certificates. The fact that they are never registered deprives them of vital education and healthcare facilities, leaving them vulnerable to abuse.
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