IndiaSpend

24/12/2024

India is reported to have the fourth highest number of people in in the world after the US, China and Brazil, according to World Prison Brief data. Of these countries, India has the highest proportion of undertrials. Our year-end review of India’s mechanism for releasing prisoners: https://www.indiaspend.com/police-judicial-reforms/why-indias-review-mechanism-to-release-prisoners-is-inadequate-935711

24/12/2024

India is reported to have the fourth highest number of people in prison in the world after the US, China and Brazil, according to World Prison Brief data. Of these countries, India has the highest proportion of undertrials. Our year-end review of India’s mechanism for releasing prisoners. Shreehari Paliath reports link in comments.

24/12/2024

Kalamba’s landscape is characteristic of many villages in Ganjam. A narrow road cuts through the village, flanked by rows of tightly packed pucca houses that share common walls. Locally, they are known as ‘train compartment houses’ for their striking resemblance to railcars--a livelihood symbol in this region. For much of the year, it is just women, the elderly, and children who live in these homes, the men working in Surat. This is the story of every other village in the coastal district of Ganjam. Read our report to find out how Ganjam and Surat became one of India’s busiest corridors. https://www.indiaspend.com/welfare/how-caste-shapes-migration-from-ganjam-935705

24/12/2024

Despite multiple court orders over the years on the problem of prison overcrowding and a high proportion of undertrial prisoners, the population has only reduced 8% based on National Legal Services Authority’s April 2024 data versus prison data released in 2022. Majority of the prisoners, 75%, are under trial. As the year draws to a close, we look at India’s review mechanism for releasing prisoners: https://www.indiaspend.com/police-judicial-reforms/why-indias-review-mechanism-to-release-prisoners-is-inadequate-935711

23/12/2024

The of the from Ganjam became a factor in the they picked and the time they spent in Surat, said researcher Madhusudan Nag. Migrants from marginalised castes took up daily wage work and focussed on shorter or cyclical migration routes. Dominant caste migrants focused more on jobs that helped them preserve their social stability back home--the textile power looms being a case in point that offered a steady income. Our story: https://www.indiaspend.com/welfare/how-caste-shapes-migration-from-ganjam-935705

23/12/2024

Extreme has made farming & fishing in ’s Ganjam unremunerative. Generations of men from the district have taken the train to Surat, seeking work in the power looms. Largely, general & OBC men from Ganjam secure work in Surat’s power looms through family/acquaintances already working there. This often excludes SC and ST workers, who face challenges accessing such networks, says Liby Johnson of Odisha-based nonprofit, Gram Vikas. Read on: https://www.indiaspend.com/welfare/how-caste-shapes-migration-from-ganjam-935705

23/12/2024

When Kamallochan Sahoo left Ganjam for Surat 24 years ago, all he carried was a pair of rugged pajamas, two vests, faded T-shirts, a cotton towel, and Rs 1,000. He left with a hope: that one day, he would return with much more. “Men would return from Surat with better clothes, perfumes, and strong odour soaps. We were fascinated,” he said. That was not an easy option for everyone; caste became a factor in who could seek work in Surat, and the type of work they could get, Aishwarya Mohanty reports in this first of a two-part series, co-published with The Migration Story: https://www.indiaspend.com/welfare/how-caste-shapes-migration-from-ganjam-935705

21/12/2024

After a fall in fertility that took over five decades to achieve, the states in the south are beginning to get concerned about falling population. Their fears hinge on the financial and political: fewer people in the state not only means fewer workers to tax but also reduced share in the centre’s tax revenue and fewer seats in parliament. Our explainer: https://www.indiaspend.com/explainers/how-declining-population-could-impact-finances-of-southern-states-935460

20/12/2024

is an important criteria for determining a state’s share in the total tax collected by the centre. The more people a state has, the more money it needs to provide services for them, which is the argument that the poorer states make. However, the southern states who collect much more in taxes than their peers, can make a case for increased requirements for healthcare too--they have a higher proportion of elderly population whose healthcare needs are higher too. Ahead of the 16th finance commission’s report on the devolution of , we speak to experts to find how the Union government’s taxes are shared between the states:

With below replacement-level fertility rates, southern states fear a fall in their share of Union govt taxes, and their representation in Parliament

20/12/2024

After a fall in fertility that took over five decades to achieve, the states in the south are beginning to get concerned about falling . Their fears hinge on the financial and political: fewer people in the state not only means fewer workers to tax but also reduced share in the centre’s tax revenue and fewer seats in parliament. Our explainer: https://www.indiaspend.com/explainers/how-declining-population-could-impact-finances-of-southern-states-935460

19/12/2024

On July 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Rs 16,600 crore Thane-Borivali Twin Tube Tunnel project in Mumbai, in the run up to elections to the state assembly due later this year.

But its impact on Mumbai’s only national park will be known only after the project is well on its way to completion, contrary to a condition laid down by the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) while granting permission for the project.

As planned, the project will run under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and is aimed at providing east-west connectivity, reducing congestion on Ghodbunder Road, a major city connector, and is supposed to reduce travel from Thane city to Borivali in western Mumbai by 12 km.

Click the link to read fulll report by Tanvi Deshpande: https://www.indiaspend.com/infrastructure/thane-borivali-tunnel-a-shortcut-through-mumbais-green-heart-922107

19/12/2024

For Gwalkhar village in ’s Latehar, the nearest centre is a 4-hour trek away, through dense forests. "The lack of a road has always been the problem. People die because of it," says Sukhdev Nagesia of Jharkhand's Latehar. He and other villagers carried his daughter Amarmuni on a makeshift palanquin through treacherous paths for her antenatal checkup. Tribal groups have to cover 5 to 80 km to reach a community or district health centre, 2017 govt data show. Read on: https://www.indiaspend.com/health/what-a-four-hour-trek-reveals-about-jharkhands-healthcare-access-935103

18/12/2024

For Amarmuni Nagesia (26), a visit to the centre for an antenatal checkup entails a four-hour trek through dense forest, sitting in a basket tied to a bamboo stick, while her neighbours take turns to carry her. Six weeks later, she gave birth to a girl child at home. Every 10th child in India is born without medical care or assistance; among tribal Indians, every 6th child is born without a skilled provider. Anand Dutta reports for ’s Latehar: https://www.indiaspend.com/health/what-a-four-hour-trek-reveals-about-jharkhands-healthcare-access-935103

17/12/2024

The Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana, announced on January 22 2024. The scheme offers more substantial subsidies, especially for low- and middle-income households, increasing the financial support for solar installations.

While there is no set deadline to meet the 10 million goal, the government has a broader target of achieving 40 GW of rooftop solar by 2026, which also requires overcoming several operational challenges. The progress made so far from only 11 GW of rooftop solar installations between 2014 and 2024 raises doubts about the feasibility of reaching the intended numbers.

Click the link in bio to read the full report by Tanvi Deshpande

16/12/2024

About 45% families with tuberculosis patients in India spent more than 2.5 months’ income in direct and indirect costs of treatment, a new study shows. The costs are likely to be higher, as the study did not consider spending after treatment outcomes. Indirect costs continue well after that, Jeyashree Kathiresan, chief investigator of the study, says. Read on: https://www.indiaspend.com/health/tb-care-is-free-but-45-patient-families-suffer-catastrophic-expenses-934747

14/12/2024

The Indian government offers free treatment for , but families with patients spend anywhere between Rs 11,000 and Rs 74,000 in direct and indirect costs, a new study has found. The poorest households, those with patients who were hospitalised, had drug-resistant TB or comorbidities like HIV and diabetes were more likely to see higher costs, Menaka Rao writes: https://www.indiaspend.com/health/tb-care-is-free-but-45-patient-families-suffer-catastrophic-expenses-934747

14/12/2024

About 45% families with tuberculosis patients in India spent more than 2.5 months’ income in direct and indirect costs of treatment, a new study shows. The costs are likely to be higher, as the study did not consider spending after treatment outcomes. Indirect costs continue well after that, Jeyashree Kathiresan, chief investigator of the study, says. Read on: https://www.indiaspend.com/health/tb-care-is-free-but-45-patient-families-suffer-catastrophic-expenses-934747