Hency Thacker

The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) has released 10 principles more than 15 years ago to drive sustainability. Since then, nearly 12,000 companies worldwide have recognised these principles as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility and have committed to adopting the sustainable and socially responsible policies that it calls for. The recommended policies by the...

The government of India has banned commercial surrogacy by passing The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill 2016 which makes payment for surrogacy a punishable offence. Commercial Surrogacy is a 400-million-dollar industry according to some estimates, with Anand in Gujarat known as the Indian Baby Factory. India is the go-to destination when it comes to fertility tourism. Commercial...

Women have always been advised by the conservatives that they should stay at home rather than stepping out for their safety. Home is considered to be the safest of all the places in the world. Ironically, it has been proven that women are more unsafe at home in many cases. According to Global estimates...

Waking up early and stepping out to jog in the fresh morning air, but getting irritated instead for having to navigate your way through littered waste, is a story of every jogger in the world. We all get disappointed in such a situation. Many of us often end up changing the fitness routine. But...

Conversation on menstruation has been a taboo for decades in India. In the last few years, with Sabarimala judgement and the film Padman, the topic has been part of debates and conversations quite frequently. To ease these conversations further across the globe, WHO has announced 28th May as Annual Menstrual Hygiene Day, in 2014. A...

A massive fire broke out in Takshashila Complex in Sarthana of Surat district in Gujarat on Friday, 24 May 2019. The accident cost 22 students of a coaching institute being conducted on the roof of the complex, with their lives. The video of the incident with students jumping out of the window from the...

Modern-day slavery is highly prevalent in the global supply chains of big business conglomerates. Especially in developing nations, many workers are forced into labour in inhumane working conditions. While CSR, with welfare initiatives, can uplift the lives of the labourers, it is not enough to eradicate modern slavery altogether. The concept of Business and...

Global climate change has made the binding international goal for a transition to a low carbon economy under 2 degrees, inevitable. The recent new EU Sustainable Investment Disclosure Rules, the new EU Directive for Non-Financial Reporting, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the market-driven self-regulation initiatives such as TCFD, the market proof as well as...

India is only 2.4 per cent of the world's land area but contributes about 8 per cent of known global wildlife, including over 45,000 species of plants and 91,000 species of animals. Despite having a huge population of over 1.3 billion, the country boasts 662 protected areas, five of them designated as World Heritage Sites...

A new anti-abortion law passed on 15th May, 2019, in Alabama of the United States of America is a major blow on women empowerment, equality and human rights front. The bill signed into law by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey after it was supported by 20 male senators in a state, where according to the...

Temperatures have been hitting above forty degrees during summers in India. In the last four years, Indian states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have been tormented with intense heatwaves and daily highs of 42°C. While there has been a loss of about 2000 lives because of the heat, such temperatures have become normal...

Organic farming is gaining a lot of mileage in recent years considering the damage caused because of the chemical fertilisers. The depleting quality of the soil and water, combined with the harmful effects on the environment and health of producers and consumers, the farmers across the world are showing more and more interest in...