Parbati Barua's predicament: What kills an elephant?
On march 6, 2003 all of us came to know what Parbati Barua had done. It made sensational news: she had -- sin of sins -- killed an elephant. As …
New-found addiction: What will the government do in May 2003?
The Union budget provides cancer-stick manufacturers and sellers huge reasons to feel puffed. The excise duty on nicotine (the narcotic used to …
For 2004, an article of faith
When our designers sit down to make the year planner that comes with the year's first issue, they look through the issues of the magazine in the …
Let us bribe Newton and Einstein
A string of corruption issues has our newspapers and TV channels all untied-up. Reliable sources admit that sales of 'sting' gadgetry are …
An environmental skirt to hide behind
In a dark time reason takes a backseat, and propaganda can get rash. To convince 'nose-in-the-air' liberals that Saddam is really a bad boy, he …
Mother of all management
THE UNION minister for human resource development's election-eve decision to slash Indian Institute of Management (IIM) fees by a third has …
Stagnation as a culture
WATER is for flowing. When made to stagnate, it buzzes deafeningly of a culture of deliberate ignorance. Look at the misfortune of the people of …
Large promises
Prime Minister Vajpayee is terribly interested in rural development these days. On his birthday he inaugurated Swajaldhara, a nation-wide water …
An ad a day will keep voters away
How bizarre can a government policy decision get? India's first national policy on resettlement and rehabilitation for people affected by …
India shining meets Hindutva
Uma Bharti is getting serious. The newly elected chief minister of Madhya Pradesh (MP) has unleashed a development agenda built around the 'cow …
True growth is about overcoming hard challenges
IN THE developed world, conducting business today is also about being environmentally accountable. Governments have imposed stringent regulatory …
Lava-ka-Baas: The blame game
When one contests the dominant, it is of utmost importance that all actions and their outcome be above doubt. There isn't the faintest margin of …
Rain check
The column width dedicated to rain in the mainstream print media has hit an all-time high. A few days ago, television news reporters with that …
The monsoon always catches the government unawares
First there was the mounting suspense. All of India awaited with bated breath the arrival of the south west monsoon. Would it arrive? Miraculously,…
Empowered panchayats make for true liberalisation
A myth actively perpetuated by traditional politicians and a supportive bureauracy is that panchayat bodies are India's lowest ranked …
No need to be neutral
NEW DELHI, August 28, 2003. At a press conference, Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patekar said that the NBA would support candidates …
On the defensive at Cancun?
Recently Arun Jaitley identified agriculture and investment as the two main issues for next month's World Trade Organization ministerial …
Green poetry
On October 15, 2003, the Prime Minister (PM) attended the first meeting of the new all-powerful Indian Wildlife Board. He gave a virtuoso …
Doomed! Carry on flushing
two years ago the Supreme Court fixed 31 March 2003 as the deadline for cleaning the Yamuna. It's April 2003 now and unbelievably, the river that …
Another world is possible
Optimism is a great friend but a bad guide. The Asian Social Forum meeting in Hyderabad, India, deliberately avoided this truism while …
Reverse brain drain can be a strain
At that annual ritual called the Indian Science Congress, the Union minister of science and technology read out the prime minister's speech. It …
Can government be its own watchdog?
The Union government has finally set itself free. No longer will it have to perform the dirty, stressful and thankless task of redressing …
Puritanism will not cure AIDS
Union health minister Sushma Swaraj is brandishing a new poultice to wrap around the AIDS menace. It is a purifying prescription called '…
No more symbolism - There will be peace in Kashmir
Unfortunately, the very institutions that profess this belief are the ones blocking its realisation. Consider the recent prime ministerial visit …
Reach the last person
Will that crippling scourge called polio be wiped out from the face of the earth by the end of this year? The World Health Organization (WHO) …