India’s current approach to urban development is insufficient for the task and needs an immediate revamp, according to global consultancy McKinsey & Co.

In its report “India’s Urban Awakening – Building cities, sustaining economic growth”, McKinsey states that a good city should be able to offer fine public infrastructure, reliable social services, recreational and community infrastructure and sustainable environment. 

As Delhiites complain of increasing road traffic, pollution and population many experts suggest that the development of the capital for the Commonwealth Games will lead to an increase in urban migration. Do you think Delhi is ready for this? 

With a ‘stark warning’, McKinsey suggests that if India continues with its current unplanned urbanisation, it will result in a significant deterioration in the quality of life in cities and will put even today’s economic growth rate at risk.

Statistics show the current performance of Indian cities in water supply quantity, sewage treatment, healthcare and public transport is quite poor. 

Do you think India will be able to handle the  surge in demand that the growing urbanisation will create?

 Many believe that good governance and proper planning can steer the process of urbanisation and generate more income and create space for a better life.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of a town dotted with temples and brightened up by saffron-clad “sadhus” or holy men, was a pandal with a thousand people waiting for Baba Ramdev’s daily yoga preaching.

At least 30 million were waiting to start their day with his discourse, through live telecast on an Indian spiritual channel.

Holy man Ramdev, known for popularising Yoga and traditional ayurvedic treatment and also for practising the ancient technique of breathing exercises called Pranayam has been beset by controversies for the last few years.

His recent decision to enter politics and “cleanse the system” has also created quite a furore.

Many political leaders have made their disapproval public including Lalu Prasad Yadav, leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal party calling his decision to join politics “berserk”.

Even though Ramdev has made it very clear he does not want to be an office holder or a Member of Parliament, he says he still aims at a 100 percent win in the next Lok Sabha elections.

Contesting elections from 543 Lok Sabha constituencies will be a part of his recent movement called ‘Bharat Swabhiman’ or Indian pride which aims to eradicate corruption and deal with other social issues like poverty and education.

It was a promise that Lt Cdr Rahul Nair could not keep. Some months ago, Nair had promised to return home soon to sample his mother’s cooking.

On Wednesday, Nair and fellow pilot Cdr S.K. Maurya lost their lives during the Indian Aviation 2010 air show in Hyderabad.

The pilots, having more than a thousand flying hours to their credit, were flying the Kiran MkII aircraft, which was inducted in the armed forces in the 1980s.

Post the crash, the Indian navy has grounded the fleet of 20 Kiran trainer aircraft.

The crash has left many concerned over the safety of these big birds used by our armed forces, let alone whether they are completely functional and serviceable for a war.

Since last year, at least 13 defence aircraft have crashed, killing 16 security personnel. As a nation, do we attach no value to human life?

After India’s first lunar mission Chandrayaan – 1 found evidence of water on the moon’s surface, scientists have now discovered more than 40 small craters with water ice on the moon.  

Chandrayaan – 1 carried a NASA radar on board which has detected deposits of water ice at both poles of the moon. 

Many scientists believe the discovery is very significant. They say water ice could serve as a natural resource for future lunar mission landings, can be liquefied into drinking water and water components could be used to provide breathing air and rocket fuel. 

Could this breakthrough unravel much more about the lunar space and the solar system? 

Space scientist and former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief, G. Madhavan Nair called this the “finding of the millennium”. 

Do you think this discovery will lead to sustainable human presence on the moon? 

January 15 is celebrated as India’s Army Day each year. Sixty-two years ago on this day, the first Indian officer took over as Commander–in–Chief of the army.

Lately, the Indian army has been under constant scrutiny. From modernization of equipment to the moral character of the organisation, many believe the army is facing too many problems at the same time.

In the recent past, there was a media frenzy about Chinese incursions and violation of Indian air space along the Line of Actual Control and also speculation whether the army would fight the growing left-wing extremism in its own country.

N. Manoharan, Senior Fellow, Centre for Land and Warfare studies, wrote in an article that reforms in the military sector are imperative for India to make a leap from a regional power to a leading global power. They are also vital to achieve the primary objective of securing the country from external and internal adversaries, he said.

Do you think the Indian Army has too many concerns to deal with? Is it time for the army to review the many aspects of the organisation?

The theme for Army Day this year is ‘Indian Army partners in nation building’.

With three tiger deaths in the first two weeks of the new year, 2010 has started with warning bells ringing for the environment ministry and tiger conservationists in India.

According to the Wildlife Protection Society of India, there have been 84 tiger deaths, by both natural and poaching causes, in 2009-10.

Considering that the last count of tigers in 2008 was 1411, wildlife experts say tigers could be extinct in 20 years.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has said, “17 (tiger reserves) are in a very, very, very precarious state, you could have a Panna or a Sariska in any of these 17 at any point of time.”

Do you think the land of tigers will have no tigers to boast of in the near future?

Though arrests in poaching-related crimes have increased, many wildlife conservationists complain that the law does not catch up with the arrested poachers.

India’s seven northeastern states, known as the seven sisters, have been “on the map, but off the mind”, if one goes by the title of a Tehelka-organised seminar on the Northeast.

The region, connected to India by a narrow stretch of land called the “chicken’s neck”, has been through a string of conflicts, seen the rise of many rebel groups, lack of infrastructure and poverty.

The World Bank describes conditions in the region as a low-level equilibrium of poverty, non-development, civil conflict and lack of faith in political leadership.

According to the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, more than 426 billion rupees were kept for the northeast between 1998 and 2006.

Also, central government ministries have been earmarking 10 percent of their annual budgets for northeastern states since 1998.

The Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India has said that funds to the northeastern states add up to more than what India gets from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Even with the constant and heavy flow of funds, why is development still distant from the seven sisters?

You may soon find India’s first genetically modified vegetable, Bt brinjal, making its way to your vegetable market.The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, which is responsible for approval of proposals relating to release of genetically engineered products, on Wednesday approved the environmental release of the vegetable but it still has to get a nod from the central government.Many in India are concerned over the harmful effects of the vegetable and question the need for a genetically modified vegetable. “Bt brinjal should not be launched in the country as the Bt toxin gene produces poison and when it can harm pests, where’s the proof that it won’t be harmful to humans?” says Suman Sahia, Convener of Gene Campaign.A report by Debi Barker, Executive Director of the International Forum on Globalization, says that genetically modified crops can spread in the environment and contaminate other crops and plants.Concerns over their effect on wildlife and human health have been expressed all over the globe.Food policy analyst Devinder Sharma raises a few important questions — “First of all, do we even need Bt brinjal? Why take a risk? Where is the crisis in brinjal production that necessitates it?”Bollywood filmmakers Mahesh Bhatt and Ajay Kanchan released a documentary in March 2009 called “Poison on Platter” to create awareness about genetically modified products in the public.“We want to highlight the fact that you cannot tamper with Mother Nature without sensitising the nation first,” Bhatt said.Do you think genetically modified vegetables are a good idea?  Will Bt brinjal set a trend and we’ll have other genetically modified vegetable as well?As a consumer, would you prefer a genetically modified vegetable over a naturally grown one?

While travelling to work in an auto rickshaw, the driver asked me, “Madam aap TV dekhte ho kya?” (Madam, do you watch TV?)Wondering what would come next, I replied with a nod.“Hamare desh mein agle saal khel hone vale hain, mehmaan ayenge magar mehmaano ke liye humne kya kiya? (We are going to have games in our country next year, guests will come but what have we done for our guests?),” he asked. With a very miserable expression he further said, “Padhe-likhe log bhi sadak pe kachra aur thook fekte hain.” (Even educated people spit and litter the streets) The auto driver is not the only one concerned about this issue.Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram remarked recently that people should learn to behave like citizens of an international city.“We want to encourage people to change their mindset,” he said. The Indian Olympic Association has expressed its concern over the logistical preparations for the event, but who is going to check on how the people behave?Beggars in the national capital are also looking forward to the Games. A large number of tourists would be a windfall and beggars are leaving no stone unturned to be prepared.An informal academy has been set up in New Delhi’s Rohini area where children are taught to beg in different foreign languages.Countries like Germany and China had taken the initiative to train their citizens to behave properly when they hosted the football World Cup and the Olympics. Should India also start a similar training program or is it too late?The Indian Tourism’s tagline reads – ‘Atithi Devo Bhavah’. (Our guest is blessed and our visitor is God)Do you think people will adopt this tagline in the months to come? Are we really ready for a global event like the Games?