In this issue

"The people of Delhi will vote for change” Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit is confident of the Congress party’s chances in the capital, Footpath of hope and despair
In pictures: Cancer patients take refuge on the streets near Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai...

the trump phenomenon

how the 2016 election exposed the us underbelly.

9 mins

chinnamma is not amma

sasikala may have become the leader of the aiadmk, but she is a far cry from j jayalalithaa, who towered over tamil nadu politics like a colossus.

5 mins

sakshi malik

sakshi malik is the first indian female wrestler to bag an olympic medal. the 24-year-old comes from mokhra village of rohtak, haryana. she came into the limelight as an international wrestler after she won bronze in the junior world championship in 2010. then, she went on to win silver in the commonwealth games in 2014 and a bronze at the asian wrestling championships in 2015. after rio olympics, malik was conferred india’s highest sporting honour – the rajiv gandhi khel ratna. she is also the brand ambassador of the beti bachao, beti padhao campaign in haryana.

2 mins

hands tied

the nhrc began its journey with much promise. but along the way, it seems to have lost all its teeth.

9 mins

Across The Threshold

A social media campaign aims to bridge gaps between communities by urging people to visit ‘people unlike us’

6 mins

'How Can An Insurance Firm Promote Death?'

Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, head and neck cancer surgeon at the Tata Memorial hospital in Mumbai, is a leading antitobacco activist. He joined hands with Sumitra Hooda Pednekar and others to file a PIL in the Bombay high court earlier this year, questioning the staterun insurance firm LIC’s investments in a leading cigarette-maker company. Edited excerpts from an interview with Geetanjali Minhas:

5 mins

The Wolf And The Lamb

Social injustice and the fate of the university

4 mins

"Young Dalit Leaders Have Age, Situation On Their Side"

How do you see the rise of the Bhim Army in Uttar Pradesh?During the last assembly elections in UP, it was a common consensus among many [dalit leaders] that we’d give one more chance to Mayawati.

6 mins

Timely Delivery

A veteran bureaucrat explains how to complete government projects without time and cost overruns.

4 mins

Cauvery Water Dispute

India’s leading water expert and president of the South Asia Consortium for Inter disciplinary Water Resources Studies, S Janakarajan, wonders why Chennai, a city that receives 1,250 mm rainfall, is called a thirsty city and goes on to explain to Shivani Chaturvedi what went wrong among the southern states that led to a water-war like situation. But, he warns that such a scenario will keep occurring if the government does not come up with a lasting solution.

5 mins

Case Against Cash

Can you imagine a day without cash?

10+ mins

Free Money? Seriously?

Universal basic income, an idea from medieval European philosophy, is offered as the mother of all welfare schemes. Money for nothing, which unburdens your mind to a degree, has its downsides and needs some homework before implementation. It’s an idea Modi is bound to be enthused by and he may be expected to give it full consideration. After demonetisation, this could be his next big thing.

10 mins

Tough Times Ahead for Labour Market and Global Trade

A New ILo Report Warns of High Global Unemployment Levels in Coming Years. It Also Makes Special Mention of the Vulnerably Employed. 

9 mins

Trains to Tragedy

Mishaps in the Past Have Mocked the Railways’ Claim of Introducing High-speed Trains With No Concrete Safety Plan in Place. 

6 mins

Dream City Delhi

How a sarkari city overtook Mumbai as a business centre

10+ mins

India, Israel Can Create “More Magic”

India and Israel mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of full diplomatic relations in January 2017. While relations between the two countries have been soaring for much of this time, in recent years and under the current BJP-led NDA government a new era of visibility has ensued. While president Pranab Mukherjee went to Israel in 2016 in a historic first visit, Israeli president Reuven Rivlin paid a weeklong visit to India in November 2016. In between there have been several other high-profile bilateral visits of ministers. While ties between the two countries are perceived to be all about defence and security, Israeli ambassador in India Daniel Carmon sheds light on the other major areas of bilateral cooperation – namely, agriculture and irrigation.

8 mins

Deadly Smoke Signals

As India struggles to check tobacco use and the losses it inflicts, tobacco firms up the ante

4 mins

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

No doubt, the tobacco industry has proved the greatest stumbling block in promoting healthy lifestyles. But tobacco use is nevertheless falling

5 mins

Pandit Jasraj

Born in a small village near Hisar in Haryana, Pandit Jasraj comes from a family of musicians of over four generations. Jasraj was initiated to music by his revered father, Pandit Motiram. Soon after his death, Jasraj went through intensive tutelage under his elder brother and guru, Pandit Maniram, and later under Maharaja Jaiwant Singh. He performed in the Mewati gharana style. Jasraj’s voice is known for its vocal range, extending over three-and-a-half octaves, perfect diction, clarity in sur and gayaki and command in all aspects of laya and rhythm. Jasraj has also trained young vocalists like Rattan Mohan Sharma and Kala Ramnath. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1990 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2000. Recently, he sang ‘namami devi narmade’, the anthem of the Narmada Seva Mission of the Madhya Pradesh government.

3 mins

Making The Cloud Industry-Friendly

The telecom regulator may soon propose a simple regulatory framework for cloud computing

5 mins

Tamil Nadu's New Empress

It has been a meteoric rise for Sasikala, who once ran a video-casette business. She is now on the verge of being anointed successor to late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

5 mins

Indian PSUs: Is A Metamorphosis Possible?

As PSU awards come to a close, a look at what made some stand out against the rest.

6 mins

Does The Net Speak Dogri?

Not yet, but government and industry are trying to make the cornucopia of information on the net available in Indian languages.

7 mins

Spectrum Auction: Winners And Losers

Now that the big bang event is over, where does the consumer stand in the new scenario?

5 mins

killer seeds of malkangiri

over 100 children have died in odisha’s tribal district and the killer was not japanese encephalitis. the deaths were caused by cassia poisoning.

3 mins

The Power Of 10

India all set to ramp up its engagement with ASEAN countries

6 mins

What India Needs No Do To Finally Become A Superpower

The formula is no secret: focus on four parameters – effective governance, rule of law, accountability and finally, economic growth.

6 mins

Online Payments, Now A Phone Call Away

That’s what India Post Payments Bank promises. It can be a game-changer in providing banking services to rural masses. Its rollout, however, is delayed.

6 mins

Why Prisons Continue To Harbour The Most Marginalised Citizens

A young researcher speaks up for some accused, finds himself hauled up by the cops

6 mins

Case for synchronising election cycles

It will save time and money, remove frequent election-mode governance gaps.

6 mins

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GovernanceNow Magazine Description:

Governance Now is a multi-media initiative for participatory reportage and analyses related to governance of all institutions and processes that are vital to public life in India. Currently, we are available as www.governancenow.com, and GovernanceNow, the fortnightly print magazine.

Our editorial team comprises senior journalists, citizen journalists, and guest writers from diverse disciplines and professional backgrounds. All of us are passionate about transparency and accountability in our national public life.