The hall resonates with the voice of a man draped in the traditional white kurta. Wielding a microphone, he has no intention of indulging in a verbal assault. His meticulous preparation is complemented by his oratorical skills as he dissects the question on education posed by his co-participant while mooting practicable solutions, in a calm […]

Governance in a democracy is a tight-rope walk. Governments burdened by the weight of the masses’ expectations, strive to stay upright, and amble ahead. Yet, it is the burden of these aspirations which a populace thrusts onto its representatives, that forms a delicate balancing rod, the absence of which would mean that the Government though […]

In the year 2001, the first Sikkim Human Development Report expressed concern over the prevalence of alcohol abuse in the state. Subsequently, in 2010 a statewide health campaign by the Government of Sikkim reaffirmed the concerns. In the wake of increasing incidence of substance abuse (Alcohol, Drugs, Cigarette, and Tobacco) in the youth; the Government […]

 Nestled safely some 7000 feet above sea level in the Pindar valley, is the pristine village of Khati. One legend has it that the residents of Khati are the direct descendants of those who had sheltered the keepers of good governance in Mahabharat, the Pandavas, during their exile. The Pandavas might have reached Khati a […]

Without know-how, jurisdiction and staffing, India’s urban planners are in the trenches even before they start digging. Inaugurated in 2003, the Hebbal flyover in Bengaluru was once considered a shining example of modern infrastructure in the city. In 2008, the city’s airport was inaugurated down the road from the flyover. Today, a traffic jam is […]

Is national health care enough? Infant mortality data suggests a growing disparity amongst states In 2005, India launched the National Rural Health Mission, a ground breaking government scheme intended to improve access to basic healthcare. Comparing one progress on one crucial indicator [What does this mean?]—infant mortality rate—from 2006 to 2012 reveals a troubling picture. […]

The Uttar Pradesh Paradox: why do states which send the highest proportion of female MPs to parliament also have such high gender inequality? Since his election, our Prime Minister has made the promotion of gender equality a central policy priority. On October 11th, he declared “[L]et us pledge to create an atmosphere of equality for […]

Background In early October, Piyush Goyal, the Minister of State for Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy, committed to making India a “renewable superpower.” India has long pledged to develop ‘a greener grid,’ through efforts such as the National Action Plan on Climate Change and the organization of a Global Renewable Energy Summit, to […]

Source: DISE 2013-14 Reports on Primary and Secondary Education, EDI Ranks out of 28 States including erstwhile United Andhra Jigyasa visualization: http://jigyasa.swaniti.in/data-analytics-2/sector-report?sector=GER Contextualizing the Thesis: PM Modi’s Teacher’s Day speech deserves a terrific amount of attention not just because it has been a mandated viewing in government schools but also because the speech carries the […]

There’s a terrible shortage of doctors willing to serve in rural locations. I’ve been trying to tackle this problem by pushing for mobile health units, taking medicines, testing facilities & a doctor to villages on a regular schedule. In particular, I’ve been following up with various corporations to include this in their CSR plans. Today, […]