Feature Article

What ordinary people would consider violations of ethical norms of society are seldom seen as such by medical practitioners and researchers who may go against such norms in the larger interests of science. The conduct of clinical trials in India illustrates this conflict which arises primarily because of particular objectifications of the human body.

When we consider that expenditure on medicines in India accounts for 50% to 80% of treatment costs, India’s pharmaceutical success has clearly not translated into availability or affordability of medicines for all. As part of Universal Access to Healthcare, good quality healthcare should be accessible, affordable, and available to all in need.

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity reports were born out of an initiative in 2007 to produce an analysis of the economics of biodiversity loss parallel to that of existing analysis of climate change. The reports do not preach to the committed environmentalist who already values nature.

The article “Prospects and Policy Challenges in the Twelfth Plan” by Montek S Ahluwalia (EPW, 21 May 2011) offers a comprehensive overview of the subject, but what is missing is a discussion of the risks to the economy. An enumeration and discussion of the many risks that must be taken into account while framing the Twelfth Plan.

Y V Reddy’s central point is that while outlining a strategy for the Twelfth Plan, we must also focus on the risks that the economy may face and evolve a strategy to manage those risks. This is sage advice and a very useful input as we move towards finalising a workable strategy for the Twelfth Plan.
 

German E. coli deaths show it's time to look past the wonder drugs of the 1950s in the battle against lethal bacteria.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21028163.600-beyond-antibiotics-a-...

Most products sourced from tropical timber destroy the forest – and a sustainability logo may not be a reliable guide for your green conscience. While a report this week celebrates a 50 per cent increase in the area of tropical forests that are sustainably managed, other studies suggest this assessment is open to question.

Two forests wired up to track water should help the US's most populous state adapt to a warming world in which the stuff becomes increasingly scarce.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21028164.300-wired-californian-for...

The collision of North and South America changed the Earth's climate dramatically – and may have happened far earlier than we thought.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21028161.600-united-plates-of-amer...