India’s landmark Right to Education Act shows the country’s increasing investment in, and emphasis on, free education for all. The goals are to improve the school system, quality of teaching and student attendance. At the primary school level, significant strides have been made in enrollment, particularly in urban areas. However, many at-risk youth forego secondary school, opting instead to work or attend night school. If they do continue their education, their job prospects rarely stretch beyond avenues they have seen their parents or local community members take: tailors, carpenters, drivers, maids or factory workers. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 08/05/2013 – 00:00
Nearly everyone in India has a mobile phone these days. Rickshaw drivers slow their engines to answer calls en route. Streetside fruit sellers take orders with their mobiles. And women picking up trash in the road use their mobiles to keep tabs on their children. Yet the growing availability of new technologies raises concerns for environmentalists, who warn that e-waste can be extremely hazardous if not dealt with properly. A Times of India article says that old computers and electronics can lead to public health issues such as mercury poisoning or a possible stroke if they are simply dumped and left to pile up. Hazardous e-waste is part of a larger issue in urban India about the lack of waste management services — especially for hazardous industries including biomedical companies, oil refineries, and chemical industries —leading to serious environmental and health issues. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 07/29/2013 – 00:00
The Bangladesh garment factory collapse reminded us of the humanity behind our every day fashion. The substandard conditions are common to stitchers in Bangalore as well. Even before the tragedy in Dhaka, Bangalore played host to a people’s tribunal, “Living Wages for Garment Workers,” to hear the voices behind the brands speak on issues related to living wages and decent working conditions as a human right. It was the “first-ever attempt” to bring together workers from all major apparel hubs from across India. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 07/15/2013 – 00:00
Last week, protestors in Istanbul’s Taksim Square took to the streets to stop their time-honored public meeting space from becoming a shopping mall. The city, they say, has been increasingly swallowed up by privatization and commercialization; parks and open spaces have essentially disappeared. The redevelopment story is one that Indian cities know too well. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 06/17/2013 – 00:00
Concerns for women’s safety in India have dominated headlines this year. Since the horrific gang rape in Delhi last year, stories about mothers, teenagers, and even young girls being subjected to violent attacks, rapes, and other physically and sexually gruesome incidents have been reported on nearly every week, if not every day. While the Delhi rape case was committed by men who were strangers to the victim, all too often women know the perpetrators of such crimes. A 2012 Indian Journal of Public Health article paints a grim picture of domestic violence statistics. The violence, in its many forms, cuts across social and economic strata; however, poor women face violence at significantly higher rates, and their position in society leaves them with few avenues for redress. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 06/03/2013 – 00:00
Urban malnutrition is pervasive among children in India’s slums. The issue lacks attention in the urban context; instead, discussions of under-nourished children in remote villages capture headlines and government attention. “Official urban health statistics hide the appalling health and nutrition conditions of urban slum dwellers, most of whom are not ‘official’ residents of the cities, and therefore, do not get included in urban statistics,” says a 2004 article, “Nutrition Problems in Urban Slum Children.” The study found that only 13 percent of slum children have normal weight. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 05/20/2013 – 00:00