Other News

India’s LGBTQ economy is largely untapped, and research by Godrej India Culture Lab shows that it has enormous potential. In most populations, around 6% of the adult population is LGBTQ. Applying that to India suggests that just under $200 billion (6% of GDP) can be assumed to be earned income from India’s estimated 45...

Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar has underlined the need to mobilise funds from all sources especially corporates to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Kumar further said the focus should be on 'conscious capitalism' wherein corporates go beyond chasing bottomline and focus on ensuring maximum social return. "If corporates can make SDGs as part of...

India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS) is organizing the fifth edition of its flagship ILSS Leadership Program from April 5 to 13, 2019. The nine-day residential course, which will once again take place at Ashoka University, aims to enable and equip senior talent from diverse backgrounds to play leadership roles in the social sector. "It is our endeavour that program participants...

Kochi Metro’s move to hire 23 trans people from the self help group Kudumbashree in housekeeping and ticketing earned national as well as international attention. It is the first government owned company in India to formally appoint them. Many rounds of on-the-job training were conducted ― the new recruits were introduced to the various facilities,...

It is imperative in skilling programmes to ensure that trainees are conditioned for technical and non-technical training before their commencement and their expectations set and managed. Occasionally, people’s aspirations may not be in tune with their local realities. To ensure that skills imparted are appropriate for trainees, it is important to map aptitudes that determine...

For a change, a burn gave birth to fire. This is the story of Thimma Reddy from Raichur, who is emerging as one of the strongest child rights leaders, and of a larger vision for children. From ensuring electricity in the primary government school of Navalkal to motivating drop-outs to re-enrol themselves along with bridging...

Free Software Movement of India condemns the Ministry of Home Affairs notification issued on December 20, permitting 10 security agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt information "generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource". Under this notification, which seems to involve an expansion in the power of the authorities concerned, not only communication but...

The SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) India Index: Baseline Report was placed in the public domain last December by NITI Aayog. By way of a background, since January 1, 2016, the UN set out 17 sustainable development goals and 169 targets before 193 countries as an agenda for the next 15 years. The UN’s SDGs...

Adani Enterprises Limited on February 25 won the bid to manage and operate the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport after it quoted the highest price among all financial bids. However, four years ago, in August 2015, Adani group, the Gujarat-based corporate giant had signed the work contract agreement for development of the Rs 7,252 crore Vizhinjam...

In the gold rush for global domination of the electric mobility market, India has thrown its hat into the ring. The Modi-led government announced last month that it would offer US$1.4 billion in subsidies for both buyers and manufacturers of electric vehicles and impose higher import tariffs to spur domestic companies to build vehicles. The government...

The most important people in an actor’s life are not only their parents, but also their personal staff. Some actors are known to be generous to their drivers, bodyguards and makeup artistes. But it takes an extra kind heart to do what Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt did. Alia's driver Sunil and her helper, Amol are...

The Delhi government has drafted a policy to keep a check on the food wastage at social functions in the national capital. All organisers and caterers will have to register themselves with NGOs to manage the surplus and leftover food for distribution among the underprivileged, says the draft policy. "The caterer should make proper arrangements...