A national workshop in Hyderabad deliberated on adivasi rights and the organisation of legal clinics, addressing the issues faced by the vulnerable communities among them.

Exploring the prospects of the ecosystem services approach for natural resource management and poverty alleviation in India, this paper points out that it is vital to have an understanding of the political economy of negotiations over natural resource use. An appreciation of the synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services is equally important to develop better strategies for pro-poor ecosystem management.

Political representation is a necessary condition for a liberal democracy. Political quotas are meant to address the absence of those who are excluded because of the inegalitarian social structures in which political processes are enacted. This is accepted as a legitimate justification for scheduled caste and scheduled tribe quotas in legislatures and Parliament. Reserved quotas for women are a fair extension of that same principle. The Women’s Reservation Bill must empower women to address their situation politically, not to serve the old hierarchies once again.

Industrial relocation in Delhi in the mid-1990s and early 2000 was supposed to ensure a pollution-free environment in the capital city. The apex court’s concern for quality of life in Delhi is commendable. However, disproportionate responsibility is placed on those who sell their labour power in order to secure a life of dignity. This article, based on a field study, explores that industrial relocation has badly affected the workers not only economically, but also socially and culturally.

The Passamaquoddy tribe in eastern Maine, US, are indigenous fishers who are trying to exercise sovereign rights to resources.