Dear Reader,

Justice delayed is justice denied, is an old maxim. However, it is a reality that has plagued India with courts clogged with huge pendency and cases taking years if not decades to be resolved. The Print reports that now the Delhi High Court has summoned technology to tackle the issue. Starting now, all ‘cheque-bounce’ cases will be dealt digitally - filing of cases, arguments and even the judgements will be delivered online.

As the pandemic takes a toll on livelihoods and earnings, on top of the already grinding poverty, people are forced to take desperate measures. EastMojo reports from Assam and Mizoram that the conditions are so dire that in some cases people have resorted to the unthinkable – trafficking their children.

India Development Review (IDR) looks at the efficacy of the NREGA scheme in alleviating distress during the pandemic and finds that the fall-back scheme for livelihood for many rural households is plagued with bugs.

We are also delighted to bring to you an annual compendium of a selection of the best of journalism produced by our grantees ‘Impact 2020 – Selections from IPSMF Grantee Media’. In a year that everyone would like to forget in a hurry, the deep dive into the pandemic, dominated coverage in most of our grantee media. Yet, diverse and ground-breaking reporting on critical issues - people’s movements, challenges to the economy, and even the conflict on our borders - did not get the short shrift. Do spend time on Impact 2020 and appreciate the work of our grantees.

For this week's selection of coverage from our grantees, please read on.

Warmly,

Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF

If you have been forwarded this email, please click here to subscribe

Delhi gets 34 paperless courts for cheque-bouncing cases that allow digital arguing, judgments

In a significant move to ease the access to the courts, the Delhi High Court has set-up 34 “exclusive paperless courts” for dealing with cheque-bouncing cases. The filing of cases, the arguments and delivery will all be done online. Other than enabling the litigants to attend the hearings virtually, it will also facilitate unclogging of the legal system. The Print reports.

Read Here

Human trafficking was a big problem in the Northeast. COVID-19 has made it much worse

EastMojo reports on how the distress caused by the Covid pandemic, grinding poverty and gender discrimination have led to trafficking of minors in Assam and Mizoram. The recent floods have worsened the situation. The economic situation is so dire that parents have even resorted to trafficking their own children. The story tells the efforts being made by civil society institutions to intervene and the challenges they face during such interventions.

Read Here

How has NREGA fared during lockdown?

India Development Review offers a detailed analysis of how the NREGA fared during the lockdown, the operational and strategic issues plaguing it. Unfamiliarity with its usage, processing delays and corruption amongst others have hit the scheme, which is the sole source of income for many of the rural households.

Read Here

Reimagining India's Museums

Live History India speaks with a panel of experts to understand how India can better manage its museums with the help of new technologies to rejuvenate them. Indian museums, of which there are more than 1,000, are dealing with a problem of plenty and have been unable to display even 10 per cent of the material in their possession.

Watch Here

Negotiating Livelihood during COVID-19: Urban Tribal Women Vendors of Manipur

Manipur is renowned for its “women markets.” The tribal women vendors of the Tribal Market Complex are intra-state migrants of the surrounding hill districts of Manipur. The pandemic, followed by the lockdowns, resulted in the closure of all markets in Manipur, including the Tribal Market Complex in Imphal East. EPW analyses a study that explores the impact of the lockdown on these women vendors.

Read Here

More from the grantees
The Fight for Clean Air in the City of Joy
The Bastion analyses the impact of firecrackers and stubble burning on the air quality of Kolkata. According to the story, “green crackers” which are deemed as a safer alternative to regular firecrackers suffer from a lack of awareness among the public and issues pertaining to supply shortages.
What Delhi’s children think about it’s choking pollution
The special episode of the Suno India podcast features children from Delhi to get a sense of how they perceive the city’s severe air pollution.
India's Marathon: Leveraging the India-US Partnership
Takshashila Institution analyses how India can leverage its partnership with the US, and why China and not America poses a greater threat to our “strategic autonomy”.
The Social Paathshala: Demystifying Technology For The Elderly
Feminism in India features the ‘Social Paathshaala’, an effort that seeks to digitally empower the elderly -. The initiative equips the elderly with the digital tools they need to remain engaged in a technology-driven age.
ജനുവരി മുതല്‍ ഇല്ലാതാവുന്ന ഡീസല്‍ ഓട്ടോകള്‍,കേന്ദ്രനിയമം നടപ്പിലാക്കാന്‍ ധൃതി കാട്ടുന്ന കേരളം
Dool News highlights the struggles of autorickshaw drivers in Kerala after the state government passed a decision banning the plying of diesel autorickshaws older than 15 years in the state beginning January 2021.
ग्राउंड रिपोर्ट : प्रसिद्ध पेपरमेशी कला जा रही गर्त में, कलाकारों के सामने दो वक्त की रोटी का संकट
Janjwar reports from the ground in Kashmir on the plight of paper-mache artists who are struggling to survive following the drying up of their customer base, including the export market.
चित्रकूट- कोरोना से फीकी रही मसहूर गधे मेले की रौनक
Khabar Lahariya brings you the impact of the lockdown on the unique ‘Donkey and Horse Fair’ held in Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh, where the turnout of buyers has been meagre.
After Flawed Enumeration, Regularisation Plans Throw Beach Vendors Into Uncertainty
The Chennai city authorities have closed down the popular Marina Beach since March. This has hurt small traders who make a living selling refreshments on the beach, with no help in sight. The Lede reports.
Impact 2020: Best of our grantees
UNSUBSCRIBE HERE
Independent & Public-Spirited Media Foundation
4/6-1, 1st Floor Millers Road High Grounds Bangalore560052 Landmark :- Opp Vikram Hospital