To fight the problem of water scarcity and to provide equitable access to drinking water, the Central and State governments have undertaken several schemes. We present a review of a few current schemes and how they have impacted the lives of common people.

Mihir Shah, economist, water policy expert and member of the erstwhile Planning Commission speaks with G’nY on the need to facilitate community ownership of water and what India needs to do to ensure water security.

The Gujarat Government’s experiences with decentralised ownership of water and facilitation of community participation is worthy of being upscaled throughout the nation.

A June 2018 study published by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) suggests that analysing land productivity of a region and yield of a crop is not sufficient to calculate the efficiency with which water is being used for cultivation. It is also important to analyse whether irrigation water being applied to the crop is resulting in adequate output and if cropping patterns are aligned with water endowments of a region.

India’s democratic principles and legislative structures have helped pave the way for achieving parity between men and women. However, performance in various indicators including healthcare, education and workforce participation are still in need of improvement.

Ravi Verma leads the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) on issues of HIV/AIDS, preventing domestic violence and child marriage. Speaking with G’nY, he talks about the need for gender equality.

Kamla Bhasin has been working for women rights for over four decades now. Speaking with G’nY, she discusses empowerment and the way forward that can help us acquire better human values.

Sixteen years following the Vishakha guidelines, a legislation was brought into place to prevent sexual harassment at workplaces. However, in its present form, the Act lacks in spirit and is riddled with loopholes.