Environment

 Timber wastes land

Government move to allow pulp trees on degraded land not sound PRIVATE paper mills may soon be allowed to develop wasteland as plantations for pulpwood. S P Maurya, director, department of industrial policy and promotion, indicated this at the PapAsia 2009 conference on pulp, paper conversion and packaging industry held in early February. Only government-owned companies are now

Publication Date: 
30/03/2009
Down to Earth
Tags:
Environment, Agroforestry, Paper and Pulp Industry, Farmers, Private Sector, Government Of India (GOI), CSE, Environmentalists, India
Energy

 South Asia

Privatizing power: The Sri Lankan parliament passed the controversial new electricity bill, with amendments, on March 3. The Act will curb the monopoly of the Ceylon Electricity Board (ceb) over generation, transmission and supply of electricity in the country. It was passed by 109 to 40 votes. ceb was incurring huge losses and not able to provide reasonable service. Though some ceb unions

Publication Date: 
30/03/2009
Down to Earth
Tags:
Water Resources, Groundwater Recharge, Water Conservation, Water Harvesting, Energy Policy, Energy, Electricity, Private Sector, Legislation, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Economy

Peoples industrialisation needs popular struggles

The article by Medha Patkar and Amit Bhaduri offers a correct critique of the current corporate-led rapacious industrialisation which destroys nature and livelihoods. But it does not focus enough on strategies of mobilising people to take charge of the form and content of industrialisation.

Publication Date: 
21/03/2009
Rabin Chakraborty, Meher Engineer, Soumya Guhathakurta & et al
Economic and Political Weekly
44
12
78
Tags:
Development, Economy, People, Conflicts, Poverty, Anti-Poverty Programmes, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), Unemployment, Industry, Private Sector, Public Participation, India
Agriculture

Impact of intellectual property rights on the Indian seed industry

The paper examines the impact of Intellectual Property Rights on the Indian seed industry. The data used in the study have been taken from the reputed published sources. The study brought out that as long as Indian farmer continues to be a grain producer and does not convert himself into a 'commercial seed seller' of the protected variety, he would be unaffected by the Plant Breeder's Rights.

Publication Date: 
01/03/2009
Sangeeta Verma, M S Sidhu
Man & Development
31
1
67
Tags:
Agriculture, Plant Breeding, Seeds, Cotton, GM Crops, Farmers, Private Sector, Patents, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Indian Council Of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Bathinda (D), Statistics, Mansa
Water Resources

Investigating shared risk in water: corporate engagement with the public policy process

WWF has stated interest in improving the management of freshwater resources for people and nature. In addition to advocacy around government and public engagement with water resources, WWF has an interest in greater awareness and engagement of the private sector to support better management of these precious resources.

Publication Date: 
01/03/2009
Stuart Orr, Guy Pegram, Christopher Williams
WWF - UK
Tags:
Water Resources, Water Management, Water Policy, Watershed Development, Water Privatisation, Multinational Corporations (MNCs), Private Sector
Agriculture

Agriculture sector study: critical issues and strategic options

Agriculture continues to be a fundamental instrument for sustainable development and poverty reduction in India. India resides in its villages and according to the 2001 census 72.2 per cent of the people are in rural areas. The agriculture sector contributes only about 18 per cent of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Publication Date: 
28/02/2009
Asian Development Bank
Tags:
Land Reforms, Land Degradation, Agriculture, Agricultural Research, Horticulture, Livestock, Farmers, Public Sector, Private Sector, Government Of India (GOI), India
Water Supply

 Water for profit

Mysore prepares to receive 24x7 water supply GIRIJAMMA A R lives with her family of five in a middle class locality in Mysore. Last month she paid the municipality Rs 240 for 82,000 litres water consumed over a period of two months. This amount may rise to Rs 350 per month in four years when the 900,000 residents of the city including Girijamma start getting 24x7 water supply.

Publication Date: 
14/02/2009
Deepa Kozhisseri
Down to Earth
Tags:
Water Policy, Urban Water Supply, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Water Supply, Water Pricing, Water Privatisation, Private Sector, Karnataka, Mysore (T)
Water Supply

Public-private partnerships for urban water utilities: a review of experiences in developing countries

This report analyzes the access, service quality, operational efficiency, and tariff levels of more than 65 large water PPP projects (representing more than 100 million people) over 15 years in different regions. Its goal is to contribute to a better understanding of how to tackle the many challenges of providing water and sanitation services to urban populations in the developing world.

Publication Date: 
01/02/2009
Philippe Marin
The World Bank
Tags:
Urban Water Supply, Water Supply, Water Privatisation, Sanitation, Public Sector, Private Sector, India, Developing Countries
Health

Adverse selection and private health insurance coverage in India

This study specifically addresses the issue of low level of health insurance coverage with special reference to private health insurance. The study analyses the rational behavior of insurance agents in the scale-up process of health insurance in an imperfect market.

Publication Date: 
01/02/2009
Sukumar Vellakkal
ICRIER
Tags:
Health, Health Care, Health Policy, Finance, Public Sector, Private Sector, India
Dams/ Irrigation

 Inordinate delay

An excuse to privatize irrigation project STARTED in 1984, the yet to be completed Nira Deoghar irrigation project in Maharashtra has run into rough weather. A recent judgement by the three-member water regulatory authority has put on hold the privatization of the project in Bhor taluka, Pune district. Aimed at irrigating 45,000 hectares the project when conceived was to cost Rs 62

Publication Date: 
30/01/2009
Nidhi Jamwal
Down to Earth
Tags:
Water Policy, Dams/ Irrigation, Dams, Irrigation, Water Privatisation, Finance, Private Sector, Advertising, Legislation, Prayas, Maharashtra, Pune (D)

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