By Shankar Sharma*  In light of recent reports regarding the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats, it has been announced that the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has successfully met its 100-day target for enhancing wildlife habitats. While the media celebrates this milestone, and the Ministry may take pride in their achievement, environmental advocates across the country have reason to approach such claims with skepticism. 

By Proshakha Maitra, Mansee Bal Bhargava*  Rivers since their existence have a tendency to flow freely uninterrupted, as a saying often used by Jal Satyagrahi pertaining to river pollution -- Aviralta mei hee nirmalta (flow will ensure clean river). Since the emergence of dams along with the invention of cement-concrete in civilisational and technological evolution, we have come too far in taming the rivers as per the aspirations and needs. The latest in the riverscape in India is the riverfront designs and development besides many small streams filled up as lands from designate wastelands. This has changed the ecosystem of the river besides and importantly our association with it from ritualistic in spiritual sense to recreational in socio-economic sense. 

By Our Representative  On the International Safe Abortion Day, 28 September, the global advocacy group SHE & Rights Media Initiative held a session   on decriminalising abortion and making safe abortion accessible to all-in-need globally, with speakers insisting that it is critical to deliver on promises enshrined in SDGs. It was celebrated as the Global Day of Action to demand access to safe and legal abortions everywhere and for all women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals.

By Bharat Dogra*  In recent years the right to information campaign has made big strides in several countries. However a special feature of this campaign in India which has captured international attention is the inspiring start it got at the grass roots level. It is the simple peasants and workers of Rajasthan who first emphasised the   importance of this right and took the message of its importance to the educated elites. This struggle was spearheaded by an organisation of workers and peasants called the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathna (MKSS).