As a part of Mint’s budget coverage, we spoke to Ruth Manorama, a dalit activist from Bangalore who stressed on the need to take the fruits of development to those unaffected by growth and globalization. [Read more]

To get an analysis of how the budget can actually make a difference to the lives of the millions of Indians who lead a hand to mouth existence, we spoke to Venkatesh Athreya, an economist and an advisor at the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai that works on issues related to women, poverty and the environment.

 If you were granted three wishes as the finance minister what would they be?

If the budget to be presented shortly is to reflect the electoral mandate, it must contain a massive stimulus, not in the form of bailouts to the corporate sector, but as enhanced government expenditure on agriculture, rural development, education, health and infrastructure. Particular attention must be paid to making this stimulus broad based in its impact on rural labour, the unemployed, the small and middle peasantry and artisans in the countryside, and on wage workers, small and medium enterprises, especially those affected by the export slowdown, and the unemployed in the urban areas. [Read more]

Source: David Moir

To get an analysis about major environmental and ecological issues in India, we interviewed Dr. Priyadarsanan Dharmarajan, fellow at The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE.)

What are the three biggest challenges within your area of work?

The biggest challenge today is climate change. We need strategies to mitigate, and help communities adapt to, the effects of climate change. Erratic climate will have a high impact on our country’s economy, especially the farming sector. [Read more]

To get an analysis of the major issues pertaining to environment and ecology, we spoke to Shekar Dattatri, conservationist and member of the National Board for Wildlife

If you had three wishes in the upcoming budget, what would they be?
1.    Many states are reluctant to spend money on wildlife protection.  I would urge the Central government to allocate more money to states for this specific purpose, since these are national assets that need to be safeguarded for India’s ecological security.  There are 30,000 frontline field staff vacancies across India in wildlife reserves, which need to be filled up urgently.

2.    Even existing forest field staff are very poorly equipped. Very often, NGOs have to step in with vehicles, boats, wireless equipment, boots and backpacks. But this not sustainable in perpetuity. [Read more]

Source: Reuters

To get an analysis about major issues pertaining to India’s disabled population, we interviewed Rukmini Krishnaswamy, director of the Spastic Society of Karnataka.

What are the three biggest challenges within your area of work?

The first is obviously funding. Sixty percent of the salaries we give our staff come from government grants. But we have not received a grant now in over one and a half years. We need to have better salaries and benefits for teachers and other professionals within the disability sector. Most NGOs are getting quite professional in their outlook nowadays, and it’s no longer just about good will. Professionals look for their own development within institutions and we need to give them incentives. [Read more]

Source: Pratham. Children having class in a narrow alley

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To get an analysis about major issues pertaining to education in India, we interviewed Dr. Madhav Chavan, the director of educational NGO Pratham.

What are the biggest challenges within your area of work?

Within elementary education, the biggest challenge is governance and reforms in the education sector. Most of the schools are managed by the government. That has problems related to accountability of the management system and the teachers and so on. On the side of vocational training, the biggest challenge is capital. There’s a lot of infrastructure owned by the government, but this is not available to people who can be trained to use it effectively for the needs of the economy.

[Read more]

Source: AFP

To get an analysis about major issues pertaining to the health and nutrition sector in India, Mint interviewed Dr. Dileep Mavalankar, board member of the Center for Health Education, Training and Nutrition Awareness (CHETNA) and a professor at IIM, Ahmedabad.

What are the three biggest challenges within the area of health and nutrition that India currently faces?

The first is a lack of proper management. For instance, in India, there are 2.7 crore deliveries every year, however there are only two managers at the national level looking after maternal health. There is no accountability and managers aren’t qualified: the same person who’s in charge of maternal health today could be in charge of malaria tomorrow. One state had a dentist in charge of maternal health. This mismanagement is a root cause behind the program’s nonperformance. There is also a lack of HR to manage health staff. [Read more]

Source: Reuters

To get an analysis about major issues pertaining to agriculture and rural development in India, we interviewed D.K. Manavalan, executive director of Action for Food Production (AFPRO), an NGO working for the development of the rural poor through effective natural resource management solutions.

What are the three biggest challenges within the area of agriculture and rural development that India is currently facing?
[Read more]

To get an analysis about major issues pertaining to labour in India, we interviewed J. John, executive director of the Centre for Education and Communication, a Delhi based NGO that strives to protect the interests of India’s labour force.

What are the biggest challenges within your area of work?

The biggest challenge is the issue of social security for unorganized workers. The government came up with legislation in December of 2008 for this, but there is no real budgetary provision to finance this. Unless and until that is introduced in the budget, the act itself will become meaningless. [Read more]