By Jennifer Bussell Could the computerization of public service transactions help curb petty corruption in India? Over the last two years, the corruption pervading India’s government has received remarkable media attention, thanks, in part, to scandals surrounding the Commonwealth Games, 2G telecom licenses, and the Adarsh housing society. This has shaken the complacency of many... Continue Reading
By Louise Tillin The rationale and process behind the creation of new states in India. As elections are held in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India’s largest state, attention has been drawn again to the question of whether the numbers and boundaries of India’s states ought to be reconsidered. In a move unthinkable 60 years ago when UP was presented as an indivisible... Continue Reading
The urban sprawl is creating unique challenges and opportunities related to natural ecosystems. As a result, policy makers need to think innovatively about a range of issues from land-resource planning to broader ecological and energy implications. The resulting challenges include reducing pollution, increasing biodiversity, managing peak energy demand and cost, heat-stress health implications,... Continue Reading
Insight into why corruption and criminal records are common characteristics for election candidates in India. By Milan Vaishnav This month, a great deal has been written on “criminals” in the electoral domain, as voters have been going to the polls in five states across India. It is perhaps a sign of the times that one of the most often quoted statistics on modern Indian... Continue Reading
By Shibani Ghosh Analysis on the recent establishment of a tribunal for environmental issues in India. 2011 was a landmark year for environmental litigation in India, a country with a rich history of environmental movements, grass-roots activism and a responsive higher judiciary. Although litigation on environmental issues has flourished for more than three decades, 2011 is distinctive... Continue Reading
Better forest laws and a more sustainable use of India’s forests could be instrumental in changing the lives of forest tribals. The 250 million forest-dependent people in India have been victims of major historical injustices such as continuation of repressive colonial forest laws and are amongst the poorest in the country. To empower forest communities, India has passed two historic... Continue Reading
A critical analysis of current media policy and regulation in India. The increasingly complex and elusive media landscape has thrown fresh challenges to an unsettled ecosystem of media policy in India. Advanced communications technologies have fundamentally altered the ways in which information and meanings are delivered, organized and received. These new advancements call into question... Continue Reading
An overview of India's efforts to modernize her military and defence systems. In response to security concerns in the neighborhood and as it emerges as a regional superpower, India has embarked on a grand scheme of defense modernization. A recent study published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) places India as the largest importer of arms between 2006 and 2010... Continue Reading
