The cities of tomorrow are in poor countries, where the largest proportion of the population is below 25 years old and where young women are becoming particularly vulnerable. It is youth who will inherit not only the riches of the city but its problems as well, unless something is done to...

The Expert Group constituted by the Planning commission to examine issues related to groundwater management and ownership has made extensive recommendations tha need to be taken seriously. Most importantly it points to the urgency of addressing the issue of groundwater depletion. A quick review...

The paper contours of a feasible design of VAT in India. It also takes on board the various alternatives proposed. It looks at the issues that need resolution and the options available for resolving the same and provides estimates of the rates of tax that would ensure that the regime is revenue...

Decisions on infrastructure development that may be critical to people's health status are, however, made without proper consultation of health authorities and experts. When negative health impacts occur, they represent a hidden cost of the project that is transferred to the health sector...

Why is underdevelopment so persistent? One explanation is that poor countries do not have institutions that can support growth. Because institutions (both good and bad) are persistent, underdevelopment is persistent. An alternative view is that underdevelopment comes from poor education. Neither...

Review of Spatialising Politics: Culture and Geography in Postcolonial Sri Lanka. Catherine Brun and Tariq Jazeel (Editors). Sage Publications, New Delhi; 2009, 260 pp, Rs. 695.