News 360° - Briefs

Tata Tea under scanner for poor living condition and coercion of workers

World Bank authorises enquiry after investing US $8 million in the global beverages company

Secretive tribunals, hidden damages

Canadian academic Gus Van Harten is well known for his efforts to reform the global investment treaty regime through his research papers, …

India’s many investment treaties make it vulnerable

Senior international lawyer Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, who heads the investment programme of the International Institute on Sustainable …

In Short

Rs 60 crore for 250,000 panchayats

The Centre's decision to reduce Panchayati Raj Ministry's budget and transfer its schemes to states has left the ministry bewildered about its …

WHO's problem

As most developed countries shy away from increasing their contribution, a cash-strapped World Health Organization is forced to rely on private …

The unaccounted wealth that leaves our shores

The Indian government invests Rs 34 lakh to educate each IIT graduate. It therefore has the moral authority to get him or her to work for the …

Budgeting for science

The government should not only increase funding for science and technology but overhaul institutions of research

Intrepid non-learners

Indian politicians travel on public money—for what they can learn from the click of a mouse

Booms are not forever

No banking on the World Bank

... when its controversial actions invariably invite flak

Food as carrot

In a world where corporate gains feed on hunger and poverty, could food be a human right?

Rise And Rise Of MFIs

Microfinance institutions entered big lending five years ago and registered 83 per cent growth

Search on for a new model

Search on for a new model

World Bank's friendship with corporate sector

Business bites

Wishful thinking

The finance minister's budget speech has come and gone. As analysts sit down to shred it to bits, Down To Earth looks at a wish list of …

Sethusamundram project is unviable

Not so lovely fair trade

Question of safety

The Bangkok conference on the risks of genetically modified corps advocated greater investment of public funds in bio-safety research

Banks expand arms, but not through branches

Smart cards, biometric ATMs, mobile phones the new tools

The key: empowerment

Arouse people's interest in governance

TOURISM & HANDICRAFTS: Backs to the wall

Militancy's most distressing casualties