Full Coverage: South Asia

31.03.2005 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is working on a project to improve the livelihoods of marine fishing and farming communities in three southern districts of Pakistan's Sindh province at a cost of $814,000.

31.03.2005 The Union Cabinet today approves Protection of Child Rights Bill, 2005, thus fulfilling India’s obligation to the Convention on Child Rights.

30.03.2005 The phase out of generic drug manufacturing by India in order to comply with international trade rules may satisfy the mighty pharmaceutical industry, but it could spell doom for poor nations struggling to provide affordable treatment for HIV/AIDS, reports Nicolien den Boer.

30.03.2005 Activists accuse Coca-Cola of creating severe water shortages in India, polluting the soil and groundwater, and selling drinks containing dangerously high levels of pesticides, among other crimes. In Colombia, the company is charged with complicity in the murder, torture and intimidation of labor union organizers at its bottling plants. A speaking tour to hold Coca-Cola accountable will take place throughout the month of April in the U.S.

30.03.2005 Prakratik Society’s innovative biogas digesters help reduce the villagers’ dependence on forests for fuel and fodder, around the Ranthambore National Park in south-eastern Rajasthan.

30.03.2005 About 200 Nepali journalists marched through Kathmandu demanding restoration of press freedom and the release of 13 journalists held after King Gyanendra imposed emergency and suspended civil liberties.

30.03.2005 North West Frontier Province in Pakistan focusses on rehabilitation of the communities affected by recent heavy rain, snowfall, avalanches, landslides and flooding.

30.03.2005 United Nations advocates for solving the transport problems impeding free trade by landlocked developing countries.

30.03.2005 Dinanath, a Nepalese farmer, loses his wife while taking her to the nearest health centre 8 km from his village.

30.03.2005 World Bank approves credit of US$100 million to support ongoing government effort to enhance quality and access to education in Punjab province of Pakistan.

30.03.2005 A new report from CEDPA/India, Franchising the Better Life Options Program through the BLOOM Adolescent Network, details the franchising and scaling up of the Better Life Options Program (BLP) for adolescent girls and boys in India. The franchising was implemented through nine state-level technical assistance partner agencies and 247 local organizations, and reached more than 146,000 youth in 10 states. The report describes how the program was implemented with several partner agencies, highlights major results and impacts, and shares challenges and lessons learned in its implementation.

29.03.2005

© Amit Srivastava / India Resource Center

From April 4-19, a Speaking Tour to Hold Coca-Cola Accountable will hold public events on the East Coast, including New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Philadelphia, to demand justice for communities in Colombia and India that are being adversely impacted by Coca-Cola's practices. The tour will also stop at Coca-Cola's shareholder meeting in Wilmington on April 19. In India, Coca-Cola is guilty of creating severe water shortages, polluting the soil and groundwater, distributing toxic waste as fertilizer to farmers, and selling sub-standard drinks in the Indian market which contain high levels of pesticides, sometimes higher than 30 times those allowed by European Union standards. In Colombia, Coca-Cola is charged with complicity in the murder, torture and intimidation of labor union organizers at Coca-Cola bottling plants.

29.03.2005 Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) wins appreciation for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives at the United Nations' Global Compact regional conclave held at Jamshedpur.

29.03.2005 All district courts in India would be connected by the Supreme Court, informed the Minister for Law while speaking in a conclave on judicial reforms.

29.03.2005 Activists are concerned that the number of tigers in tiger reserve forests of India is fast declining and there may not be any tiger left in Sariska tiger reserve.

29.03.2005 Nepal police arrested at least 16 people in Kathmandu on Monday as they were protesting against king Gyanendra's seizure of power and called for the restoration of democracy.

28.03.2005 UNESCO releases two documentary films based on the findings of three of its project in India to address the issue of gender divide through innovative use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

28.03.2005 Our policy framework and investment priorities for agriculture were designed for addressing the issue of food security in the country and not for a balanced growth of agriculture. The future direction of policy clearly has to recognise that we are no longer in an era of chronic shortage, and that our emphasis now has to be on providing rapid growth in agriculture-based livelihoods, says Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

28.03.2005 Pakistan launches an aggressive nationwide campaign to raise awareness about tuberculosis and access to free treatment at public health centres.

28.03.2005 Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) will receive Stockholm Water Prize for 2005 for its efforts to build a system for water management using the traditional approach of rainwater harvesting and advocating that communities should manage their local water systems.