Cities will drive growth, but only if we build right: Follow master plans, develop transit networks, grow vertically, conserve water, recruit urban managers

Context: Urbanisation will be the single biggest agent of growth in the next few decades in India, but only if we design optimum policies alongside. What is the scale of urbanisation in India? India is already the second-largest urban system in the world with 11% of the total global urban population living in Indian cities.… Continue reading Cities will drive growth, but only if we build right: Follow master plans, develop transit networks, grow vertically, conserve water, recruit urban managers

Art museums and the craft of democracy

News: Recently, the Prime Minister of India inaugurated the Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya on the grounds of Teen Murti House in New Delhi. While doing so he declared that the new museum would help youth value the expansion of constitutional government in India since Independence. History of National Museums Large art museums emerged in Europe in the eighteenth… Continue reading Art museums and the craft of democracy

Urbanisation and development

Context: World Bank has projected that every seven of 10 people will be living in urban cities by 2050. Therefore, the emphasis on urbanisation and its correlation with sustainable development has never been stronger. It not only gives a clear picture of the degree of concentration of people in a region, but also highlights the… Continue reading Urbanisation and development

Solving India’s idol theft problem

Context: Article, citing a CAG report, shines a light on the issue of the antiquities being stolen from monuments/sites and from Site Museums in India. What were the findings of the CAG report? The 2013 report on “Preservation and Conservation of Monuments and Antiquities”, by the CAG found that 131 antiquities were stolen from monuments/sites… Continue reading Solving India’s idol theft problem

Why time banking is a crucial tool to empower women

Context: Unpaid work is crucial for development of the society and economy, but is often invisible. Women perform 75% of the world’s unpaid care work. The largest source of women’s unpaid labor is domestic work. These include household chores like grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning as well as caregiving to the children, elderly and infirm. Contents1… Continue reading Why time banking is a crucial tool to empower women

Celebrating India’s contribution to the world of knowledge 

Context: Recently there have been debates and discussion over India’s contribution and achievements in various domains of knowledge. The debates arose because despite immense contributions, India’s achievements remain unattributed and uncelebrated despite 5,000 years old civilization. The topic became more important as India is going to celebrate its 75 years of Independence.   What have been… Continue reading Celebrating India’s contribution to the world of knowledge 

Protect the film archive. This can’t be done by handing it to a corporation 

News: Recently, the government has merged the Films Division, Children’s Film Society, International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Directorate of Film Festivals, and National Film Archive of India (NFAI) with the NFDC (National Film Development Corporation of India).  What are the achievements of the NFAI?  Contributed to the growth of our film culture. It has… Continue reading Protect the film archive. This can’t be done by handing it to a corporation 

NALSAR University shows how meaningful action can be taken for LGBTQI+ inclusivity: By listening to students 

News: NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad released a draft Policy on Inclusive Education for Gender and Sexual Minorities. The University will allow one of the floors in a hostel to be a gender-neutral space for students who self-identify as LGBTQI+.   In 2018, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences had established a gender-neutral space… Continue reading NALSAR University shows how meaningful action can be taken for LGBTQI+ inclusivity: By listening to students 

Film archives are our heritage. They must not be monetised 

News: In recent developments, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has decided to bring all regional and national offices of the National Film Archives of India (NFAI), Films Division (FD), Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI), and Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) under the workings of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).  Contents1 Brief… Continue reading Film archives are our heritage. They must not be monetised 

The serious public health burden of gender violence 

Context: Gender-based violence constitutes one of the serious public health burdens in India.  Contents1 What is gender-based violence? 2 Global and National Trends of Gender-Based Violence 3 What are the impacts associated with gender violence? 4 What is the way forward?  What is gender-based violence?  ‘Gender-based violence’ refers to violence that is directed towards an individual owing to… Continue reading The serious public health burden of gender violence 

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