| | | | Hello Pz10,
This week, travel to the forest villages of Gondia, with this ground report by Flavia Lopes. In a world where temperatures are rising, and forests are in danger of destruction to support growing urban areas, the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) act of 2006 (FRA) shows a way forward for protecting India's forests, while also supporting communities that depends on forest produce for their livelihood. | | | In a two part series, "Mava Nate, Mava Raaj– My village, My rules", Flavia traces how ownership over forests, for individuals and communities, has improved incomes, opportunities for livelihood and education, and given women more agency and power. You can read the first part here & the second part here. | | | On April 11, Safe Motherhood Day, Kumar Divyanshu told the story of Kaushalya Chauhan, who had to travel through knee deep snow to reach her home in Koti, just after giving birth, because the crowded hospital in Shimla, 30 km away, asked her to vacate the bed for other pregnant women. Chauhan and women like her face such extreme challenges in accessing basic maternal healthcare in rural areas of Himachal Pradesh, a sign of India's inadequate and beleagured health system. | | | ------
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief JP Nadda had claimed in 2018 that India would reduce maternal deaths to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2022. Although India has missed that deadline, it has managed to bring down the maternal mortality rate considerably in the last two decades, found this data analysis by Nidhi Jacob for Factchecker.in.
In another claim, the Aam Aadmi Party recently listed the debt burden of BJP-governed states and compared it to Delhi's revenue surplus. But when Factchecker.in spoke to experts and analysed the data, they found that this was an unfair comparison. Here is why.
To help us continue such ground reporting, please consider donating. Any small amount helps. | | | Shreya Khaitan Senior Writer and Editor
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