By Hemantkumar Shah* The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently lowered its key policy rates, including the repo rate and announced a phased reduction in the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), signaling a shift towards a more accommodative monetary stance. At first glance, such a move might appear to herald a phase of economic acceleration—lower interest rates, easier loans, increased investments, and rising employment. However, closer scrutiny reveals that these policy changes, though significant on paper, may not meaningfully impact India’s GDP growth unless accompanied by robust fiscal measures and targeted reforms.
By Bharat Dogra At a time when climate change has made environmental protection an existential priority, preserving and regenerating natural forests must remain at the centre of any strategy for ecological stability and biodiversity conservation. However, a growing body of experience from India and around the world confirms what tribal and rural communities have long known: forests cannot be protected from the top down. True and lasting conservation can only be achieved when the communities living near forests are actively involved in managing and protecting them.