This volume is the outcome of a study organised jointly by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung (HBS) India and the Centre for Public Affairs (CPA) before the 15th general elections to the Lok Sabha. The project attempted to gauge the emerging political trends that may influence the politics of the country. Ajay K. Mehra more»

Feminist Positions and Perspectives on Peace and Security Policy – June 29, 2010 - The strategies of international security policy have significantly changed since the end of the Cold War, as have the challenges posed by international terrorism and the increase of global inequality. In this publication the Gunda Werner Institute in the Heinrich Böll Foundation presents a detailed position paper to contribute to the international debate on peace and security policy. more»

Women in Electoral Politics – Although women from almost 50% of the country’s population, their representation in the Parliament and State Legislatures has been depressingly low even after sixty years of Independence. So is the case with Maharashtra, one of the states in the forefront of Indian politics since the days of freedom struggle. The aim of the project is to study the status of political participation of women in Maharashtra and ascertain the reasons for the inability of the State’s women to enter the legislative Assembly in more numbers than at present. The inquiry also proposes to look into the present status of the All Women parties that were launched earlier. The study also touches on the socio-economic background of some of the women who could make it to the Assembly in the past and what criteria are followed by the political parties in selecting their women candidates. more»

Contested Space and Identity in the Indian Northeast, by the Academy of Third World Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia – The book, a result of a conference, is a kaleidoscope of richly textured and well thought-out positions, highlighting, in a structured way, political, legal, historical, philosophical, gendered and psycho-social aspects of the situation in the Northeast region of India. The papers are grouped in three main categories, namely: the role of the state and non-state actors in the politics of the Northeast; the shifting paradigms of identity and community in the borderlands; and the variable of perception in the calculation of peace. more»

Trans-Boundary Water Politics and Conflicts in South Asia : towards 'Water for Peace' – The purpose of the study is not to give credence to the ‘water war’ thesis. Indeed wars continue to be fought over oil and not water. The study is located in the understanding that peace is not simply the absence of war but a value grounded in issues of human security and collective well being of the region more»

Pakistan - Reality, Denial and the Complexity of its State – This publication is designed to provide a differentiated view of Pakistan’s complex political processes and social challenges to a broad international audience. Authors from a variety of disciplines present their analyses of Pakistan’s deficits and shortcomings, as well as their ideas and visions for a more democratic and peaceful future. more»

Gender Politics Makes a Difference - Experiences of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Across the World – Politics can only succeed when it is inclusive of all genders. Gender justice is an ambitious goal, one that the Heinrich Böll Foundation is pursuing together with many different allies worldwide. This publication gives an overview of their work. more»

Roadmap to 1325 – The UN resolution 1325 It could be a milestone for gender-equitable security policy. This volume contributes to filling the gap in knowledge about approaches both to gender-sensitive peace and security policy. Edited by the Gunda-Werner-Institut. more»

Given the emphasis on gender mainstreaming today, the gender impact of trade policy must be paid serious attention to, especially as it is increasingly evident that trade policy is not 'gender neutral'. The nature of international trade itself is undergoing continuous changes, with autonomous liberalization being accompanied by initiatives at the WTO as well as rapid advances in Preferential or Free Trade Agreements.
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The Current Trade Paradigm and Women's Health Concerns in India: With Special Reference to the Proposed EU-India Free Trade Agreement. – India is currently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, which includes not only liberalization of commodity trading, but also a wide range of chapters including deep services trade liberalization, full investment liberalization, and stricter IPR conditions than the TRIPS norms. As trade is an engine of growth and development, India’s trade policy has many goals to meet. India shows high poverty level, increasing income and social inequalities as well as deep seated gender inequalities.
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The EU India FTA in Agriculture and Likely Impact on Indian Women. – India's trade policy has undergone a significant shift towards an increasing engagement with Free Trade Agreements as compared to unilateral trade liberalization or multilateral trade liberalization through the WTO. This shift in India's trade policy has had a significant impact on the agriculture sector which no longer enjoys the exclusive protection it has received so far. Since 2007, India has been negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union of which agriculture is an important component. Along with liberalization of commodity trade, and corresponding impact on tariffs and non tariff barriers, substantial movement in enforcing stricter IPRs and a much more ambitious investment liberalization policy are likely to significantly affect agriculture.
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In Search of Economic Alternatives for Gender and Social Justice: Voices from India – February 11, 2010 - In search of economic alternatives: Voices from India" is a new publication from WIDE and Hbf. It is an edited collection of short essays by Indian authors on economic structures, relations and principles that are needed to serve the goals of sustainable economic and human development, poverty eradication, social justice, and empowerment of the most vulnerable segments of society: women, Taken together, the 12 essays form an agenda of alternative thinking, linking gender with other social, livelihood, and democratic concerns. more»

Trade Liberalisation, Gender Equality, Policy Space: the case of the contested EU-India FTA – In the context of the multidimensional crises and the restructuring of economic and political power relations, a fresh look at trade policies between the EU and India and at the nexus of social justice, gender, development and trade is necessary. Christa Wichterich and Kalyani Menon-Sen explore social and gender justice dimensions of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations. more»

Economic growth without social justice: EU­-India trade negotiations and their implications for social development and gender justice – This paper attempts to place the EU-India FTA negotiations in their historical and topical context, and questions the coherence between the development aid agenda on the one hand, and the trade and investment agenda on the other. Does it still hold true what the European Commission stated in 1996 aiming at enhancing the EU-India partnership: "The European Union firmly believes that social development must be a parallel objective to economic development"? Exploring the main interests behind the FTA on both sides, the paper asks whether considerations regarding social inclusion, poverty eradication, and gender equality are informing trade policy-making. It looks at trade liberalisation and the FTA procedures through the prism of social justice and human development. Since bilateral trade negotiations are held in great secrecy, the paper wishes to provide civil society actors in the EU and India with background information and to build their capacity to engage critically in policy-making on trade and development and in transregional networking more»

The need for renewable energy resources is real and pressing today simply because our current dependence on conventional petro -based fuels and energy sources cannot be sustained. Electrification Scheme over the past two decades there remains a lot of work that needs to be done. The numbers of villages which still don’t have access to electricity continue to be very high and in a number of these village the grid reaching them may still be some years away.

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HALF LIFE: Radioactive Waste in India – Nuclear Energy generation is slated to rise in the coming decades from the present 3 percent to upto 20 percent in the energy mix of India. With climate change concerns, nuclear energy is now being brought back and reconsidered as 'clean' and 'zero cost' energy. The amount of waste created will increase manifold. more»

Who's Who in Climate Change in India – more»

India: Emerging Leadership on Climate Change – An Overview concerning India's Domestic Laws, and the Instruments and Measures of Climate Change. Malini Mehra, Centre for Social Markets more»

Climate Change Violates Human Rights – It is mainly the inhabitants of the global South who suffer from the effects of climate change. This publication uses case examples to illustrate the dangers faced by indigenous peoples in particular, as well as the tools the UN human rights system gives them to support their struggle for just climate policies. By Theodor Rathgeber more»

Green Solutions to the Auto Crisis - From Auto Makers to Mobility Service Providers – The current automotive crisis is not merely the result of an economic downturn, but has revealed structural flaws within the industry itself. This strategy paper analyzes the current crisis and outlines a vision of the “mobility products of the future”. By Weert Canzler and Andreas Knie more»