Many regular readers of GoodNewsIndia [GNI] have wondered why this site has not been updated since 2006. The simple answer is this: the one-man team, that is me, D V Sridharan that publishes GNI is busy with a land restoration project christened, pointReturn . It will need my undivided time and attention at least till 2010; that leaves me with little time or energy to travel and do stories for GNI as I have done since 2000. So work on the site is temporarily suspended.
That is the reason. But there is a connecting story behind how I came to undertake pointReturn. In case you are interested, do pull up a chair and listen. It's a long one, and I must caution, somewhat opinionated. ⇒⇒
Apr 29, 2006
The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company [BESCOM] has been successful in having its services and collections managed by village level entrepreneurs, known as Gram Vidhyuth Pratinidhi [GVP].
There are 3,425 GVP -many of whom, women- across over 5,000 villages in Karnataka. Average collections have gone up 30% and service quality for consumers has got better. Power theft and bill default have practically disappeared. Villagers don’t have to travel to a nearby town and waste all day to pay their bills - these are collected at their door-steps.
With bonuses and incentives, a GVP can expect to earn Rs 4,500 per month, which is a considerable income in villages.
You can read the full story told at length in the April 24, 2000 issue of Outlook Magazine.
Random picks:
You don’t often get a more personalised, targeted-at-the-last-person dedication in social service.
In just 3 quarters, TFR fell from 3.45 to 1.3 in the PSF pilot area, though admittedly it’s a small sample size.
Jun 08, 2003:TrendThe number of heinous crimes had come down, particularly in Rajasthan and Maharashtra
May 08, 2006:SpringsUnfussy couple Savitri Kannan and his wife Kamalam turn their home every evening into a learn and play centre for 150 poor children in Chennai
Dec 25, 2003:Energy“The coming crisis will no doubt affectt India badly, but it also presents us an opportunity to implement a holistic response.”
Nov 03, 2002:ReformsIn 60 police stations in Hyderabad lock-up rooms will cease functioning and be turned to rest rooms for policemen.
Jan 07, 2004:TrendFreedom has resulted in this current demographic advantage, that is likely to last another 20 years.
Dec 21, 2002:NewsclipVajpayee declared that India was ready to bid for the 2012 Olympics!
Sep 02, 2003:Ideas For India“Seed balls are a small universe in themselves.”
Sep 15, 2005:NewsclipCMS study has showed which products of reforms have worked: information technology and legislation, smaller-sized states and true competition.
Vizag Steel itself is one of the most modern steel plants in the country and a government run unit which has revitalized itself
Nov 08, 2004:ProfileHis life changed the moment his question changed from “why me?” to “why not me?”
Jan 22, 2004:EconomyCairn discovery was made precisely on river Sarasvati’s banks
Mar 04, 2004:ResourcesIt takes 60 years to replace a 60 foot tree but only 60 days to replace a 60 foot bamboo
Jan 13, 2005:InitiativeOften what we cannot achieve by fulminating, can be achieved by switching off disappointment and working for a greater objective.
Oct 14, 2004:ProfileIn many ways Pattnayak was more radical than the leftists; he was Gandhian you would say.
Jan 15, 2003:EconomyIndian manufacturing efficiency is on a roll
Dec 03, 2003:InnovationIndia can escape the horrors that the West went through before it recovered
Jan 12, 2007:SciencesA new variety of rice known as the Aerobic Rice has been discovered which requires little water, generates no methane and produces good yields.
May 23, 2003:InitiativeBunker and his work are not new to prizes either.
Nov 09, 2003:UpdateShelter Associates believe that planning for the poor must have the poor as the largest participant in plan design, implementation and management.
Jan 13, 2004:Memory SpeaksThe bride-to-be was put through a ‘fool-proof’ test: get her to roast a papad.
Dec 01, 2003:Memory SpeaksThey never came out unless invisible
Mar 31, 2004:ElsewhereAnd by the nineties, grapes worth Rs 500 crores were being harvested in Maharashtra
Nov 30, 2003:ReformsOfficers from road transport corporations in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal are making a beeline to Guwahati to study the miracle
Sep 21, 2002:NewsclipThe areas of his work may mystify the best of us but let us try
Jul 04, 2003:InitiativeDr. R Madhavan and Mr. V Subramaniam, have for 15 years now been pushing a tricycle and planting trees
Mar 09, 2003:EnvironmentThis confirms UN’s World’s Forest Report, 1999’s finding that India was the only developing country where forest cover was increasing
Jun 19, 2005:ActivismThe battle of Plachimada will decide more than the fate of the Coke bottling plant there - it will show-case the power of people in a democracy
Jul 05, 2004:Ideas For IndiaAn ox driven desalination plant is capable of producing 600 to 700 litres of potable water per hour
Dec 20, 2002:GovernanceThe variety shows it has a grip on the reality
Aug 22, 2004:InnovationSingh was awarded US Patent No 6237579 in May 2001 for his idea
Jan 13, 2003:Enthusiast“It is an oven which can cook, boil, roast and bake!,” says S Narayanaswamy
Jul 15, 2003:EconomyWe have a self-reinforcing pattern with trends beginning to inter-lock.
Jul 22, 2003:Newsclip“Labour market flexibility in India is reality for all but a small labour aristocracy.”
Sep 09, 2004:InitiativeReality is, there is a huge shortage and and a need to create new supplies of them.
Dec 17, 2003:ProfileWe could be looking at some action with teeth to it...what can ‘you’ do?
Oct 22, 2003:Trend30,000 executive positions in Britain’s finance and insurance industries are likely to be transferred to India over the next five years
Sep 19, 2003:EnergyA workshop on biodiesels in Bangalore on Sep 6 and 7,2003
Aug 23, 2003:TrendEducation is a fair and equal mainstream for all those that arrive at it