A long haul

Decentralisation in Kerala is the work of a persistent civil society

Sure cure: how to tackle India's undernutrition crisis in 10 steps

The finance ministry and the planning department can play an overarching role by ensuring health programmes get sufficient resources

Bridging the gap

Pressured by a highly active civil society, the Kerala state government is actually giving power to the people. The decentralisation theory has …

Shock treatment

Nightmarish laws and an insensitive government keeps thousands in the dark

Global grid

Whether it is Asia or Europe, countries find a new mantra: decentralise and electrify

Micropowerful

A microhydel project a day. Communities snatch the initiative from the government to electrify rural Nepal

Panchayat Raj Half a cheer for democracy

There is a great push to make panchayats the fulcrum of rural development in India. But 16 years after the third tier of government was created, …

Power the people

For the country where only 15 per cent of its population have access to electricity, Nepal has come a long way. It took 84 years to achieve power …

Creation of Greater Bangalore will strain the city's resources

Walk the village talk

After raising the political profile of village councils, government wants to downsize them