Shriya Mohan traces the Indian microfinance story and what stops it from making a dent in poverty
When Muhammad Yunus, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, showed the world what a small loan could do to a group of poor villagers in Bangladesh, people wondered why such a simple idea had never been thought of before.
JULY 2008: Hope had almost died, much like the sanctuary at Bharatpur, starved of water and life for nearly five years. As the monsoon approached, many a hopeful eye looked to the sky. This time, the gods did not disappoint and rain drenched a parched earth.
CHRONICALLY PARCHED Bundelkhand, drought-dry for nearly half a decade, could have done with some hope this year, particularly after a surprise season of record rain.
The Andhra Pradesh State Government, headed by Chief Minister Dr. Rajasekhara Red has transformed the state by implementing fundamental changes at the grass root leving been in politics for more than three decades, Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy came in closest contact with the grim living conditions of the poor during the 1500-km 'padayatra' he undertook before he became Chief Minister in 2004.
With skill and resources, they persuade power to benefit their clients. SHANTANU GUHA RAY trawls the world of Delhi's adept influencers ON A QUIET Tuesday last month, the rooftop res - taurant of a leading central Delhi hotel had four of its dozen tables occupied. One had a senior former editor lunching with a high flying cabinet minister; another a troubleshooter for the Delhi state government with fundraising businessmen; the third had a hushed negotiation between an A-list persuader and a senior bureaucrat; only the fourth table was made up of a clutch of lunching ladies.
Coca Cola India CEO ATUL SINGH sees water harvesting as one of the best alternatives to resolve the crisis IN INDIA, 17 PERCENT of the population shares less than four percent of the world's freshwater resource. Even if we get good rainfall, the water does not recharge the ground water locally; it goes elsewhere and at times leads to miseries. Only 11 percent of ground water of the country is replenishable and rest of the water goes as runoff due to lack of sufficient infrastructure and hydro-geological conditions.
