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Sustainable Development Goals: Socially excluded vulnerable groups face multiple disadvantages

June 18, 2019

Excerpts from ‘100 Hotspots: Snapshot of Socially Excluded and Vulnerable Population Groups and SDGs in India’, anchored by Human Rights Advocacy and Research Foundation (HRF) and Life Education & Development Support (LEADS), coordinated by Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (WNTA), and supported by Amnesty International, Bread for the World (BFdW), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), … More Sustainable Development Goals: Socially excluded vulnerable groups face multiple disadvantages

Trade-off for growth?: 16,000 centrally-approved projects to severely impact environment

June 17, 2019

By Manju Menon, Kanchi Kohli* In India, industrial, energy and infrastructural projects are legally mandated to seek environmental approvals under a range of central and state level laws such as the Environment Protection Act, 1986, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act, 1981, and the Forest Conservation … More Trade-off for growth?: 16,000 centrally-approved projects to severely impact environment

Manuben’s diaries cover major political, social events at a crucial juncture of India’s history

June 15, 2019

By Nandini Oza* Manuben Gandhi was an important woman political activist who is less known in spite of being a central observer of many of the momentous events surrounding India’s freedom struggle, partition and subsequently, events that lead to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. Manuben joined Gandhi as his aide and caretaker at the young age of … More Manuben’s diaries cover major political, social events at a crucial juncture of India’s history

J&K High Court failed to adequately defend human rights principles enshrined in Constitution

June 14, 2019

In a written reply to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir in January 2017, the then-Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti stated that from 2007 to 2016, over 2,400 were detained the Public Security Act (PSA), of which about 58% were quashed by courts. The Chief Minister stated in the Assembly in January 2018 that 525 … More J&K High Court failed to adequately defend human rights principles enshrined in Constitution

Ravines, wetlands of Vishwamitri continue to be systematically destroyed, filled with debris

June 14, 2019

In a fresh letter, concerned citizens of Vadodara* have protested against what they have called “casual, trivial, and flippant response of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation” (VMC), saying,  the VMC’s response dated June 11, 2019 to their complaint made on May 22, 2019 on the need for action to “prevent anticipated disasters, flooding and water logging” … More Ravines, wetlands of Vishwamitri continue to be systematically destroyed, filled with debris

Benefit programmes should be formulated to tackle impact of intense heat on marginalised sections

June 12, 2019

By Sheshu Babu* While summer is uncomfortable to most of middle class people, it takes heavy toll of the daily laborers, marginalised casual workers and industrial manual employees. The rich and most government employees take some shelter under air conditioners or coolers but large number of ‘fourth -class’ employees, the street hawkers, peddlers, beggars and … More Benefit programmes should be formulated to tackle impact of intense heat on marginalised sections

Vadodara waterlogging due to dumped debris, discharge of untreated sewage along Vishwamitri

June 11, 2019

Several concerned citizens of Vadodara, led by Rohit Prajapati, environment activist, researcher, and writer, in an open letter to the Municipal Commissioner, Vadodara Municipal Corporation; secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Union of India; Chief Secretary, Government of Gujarat; and several senior environment and forest department officials of India and Gujarat have sought “immediate” … More Vadodara waterlogging due to dumped debris, discharge of untreated sewage along Vishwamitri