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News and Reports South Asia at a Glance - vital statistics Current Concerns - items of topical interest related to development in South Asia General Assessment - sites & articles evaluating development in South Asia. Strategy & Policy - information on tactical responses to development-related problems Critical Issues - articles featuring major developmental concerns relevant to South Asia Country Profiles - developmental data, policy, projects and articles particular to individual nations

TAMIL NADU TO MODERNIZE IRRIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE (Sarid) - The World Bank approved an assistance package of US$485 million to the Indian state of Tamil Nadu to increase agriculture productivity by modernizing the state’s irrigation infrastructure. Although known for textile industry and electronics manufacturing, Tamil Nadu is also a leading producer of agricultural products in India, such as kambu, corn, rye, ground nuts, oil, seeds and sugar cane. More than 70% of state's population is engaged in agriculture and allied activities for their livelihood ... Full Article

HOME-BASED WORKER’S WELFARE BODY LAUNCHED (Agencies) - A new apex federation, HomeNet South Asia (HNSA), that aims to strengthen home-based workers' organizations and networks in South Asia was launched in New Delhi, India on Saturday. There are an estimated 50 million home-based workers in South Asia, most of whom are women. Around 30 million are in India and earn, on average, about half the daily wage of non-home-based workers. A new Indian national policy currently under consideration for such workers would include social security and insurance cover ... Full Article

MUSLIMS MISSING OUT ON INDIA'S ECONOMIC GROWTH (International Herald Tribune; The New York Times) - Even those who caution against "illusions of grandeur and power," as Sonia Gandhi did last week, cannot hide their sense of pride at the idea of India as a nation that extends the concessions of secular democracy to its many castes, creeds and faiths. Yet that notion has come under strain in recent days, with an official panel having concluded that Muslims, India's largest religious minority, are "lagging behind" on most things that matter ... Full Article

INDIA KEEN ON TURKMENISTAN'S NATURAL GAS (Sarid) - India, which imports over 70 percent of its oil and gas requirements, is currently over-dependent on the Persian Gulf states, and is keen to tap into Central Asian energy reserves. Turkmenistan is one of the world's leading natural-gas producers. Also, apart from energy gains, Turkmenistan is a booming market for Indian products, such as heavy machinery, pharmaceuticals and tea ... Full Article

WILL POVERTY ALLEVIATION REMAIN A FAR CRY IN SOUTH ASIA? (The Daily Star, Bangladesh) - Euphoria over the Nobel peace award for Bangladesh must not lead to the impression that milk and honey would flow for the poor since still much needs to be done in the area of rural development and poverty alleviation. In fact, the poverty that is discernible is simply the tip of the iceberg and much deeper problems lie beneath. It is important that such problems be identified more accurately and concerted drives are launched to resolve them as far as possible with greater success ... Full Story

PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FOR PAKISTANI ORGANISATION (Dawn, Pakistan) - A Pakistani organisation has won the World Habitat Award-2006 for its efforts to improve housing conditions. Princess Zahra received the award in Naples on Monday on behalf of the Aga Khan Planning and Building Services (AKPBS), says a press release issued here. It is the second time that a Pakistani organisation has won the prestigious award ... Full Article

THE FUTURE IS URBAN – AND POOR – UNLESS PRO-POOR SHELTER MEASURES IMPLEMENTED (Sarid) - In many rapidly urbanizing countries slums are growing nearly as fast as the urban population itself, warned Executive Director Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, reporting to the UN’s Sixty-first General Assembly on the progress of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), the agency charged with promoting socially and environmentally sustainable housing worldwide. She added that the sense of urgency was heightened by the combined trend of rapid urbanization and the urbanization of poverty ... Full Article

IS INDIA'S ECONOMY TOO HOT TO HANDLE? (The Economist) - India's curries can be even hotter than the fieriest of Chinese hotpots; likewise the temperature of the two economies. Despite widespread claims that China's economy is overheating, actually India's shows more signs of boiling over, asserts the Economist. Indian policymakers, the UK newsmagazine asserts, seem reluctant to admit that economic growth has exceeded its speed limit over the past three years, let alone slow it ... Full Article

WORLD BANK APPROVES US$40 MILLION TO SUPPORT RAILWAY SECTOR IN BANGLADESH (Sarid) - The World Bank has approved a US$40 million credit to support the Government’s plans to transform Bangladesh Railway into a well-managed, customer-focused organization, as well as to improve financial and human resource management of the state run company.  The project will be followed by another proposed development policy credit of US$60 million for the Railway Reform Program in 2009 ... Full Article

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT TO INDIA HAS INCREASED BY MORE THAN 20 PER CENT: According to the World Investment Report, released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to South, East, and South-East Asia, including Oceania, reached a new high of US$165 billion in 2005, a 19% increase over 2004. FDI inflows to India went up by more than 20 per cent ... Full Article

OTHER SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES IN INDIA’S TOP TEN: The Indian Government has made an intriguing list of countries ranked according to their importance to India. While the USA and UK predictably top the classification, other, more unexpected results, have given rise to disputes ... Full Article

EARTHQUAKE: LOW COST HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS: Out of more than 800,000 housing units affected by the recent earthquake in Azad Kashmir and the NWFP, 50 per cent have been destroyed and another 20 per cent have been severely damaged. These homes will have to be rebuilt not only with limited resources and in a time-efficient way, but also in a manner that can withstand future seismic activities ... Article Summary

SARID's ANALYSIS: SOUTH ASIAN ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS: A new report shows the importance of good institutions, competent economic management, superior education, technology and innovation ... Full Article

WEAR A SHIRT & REPEL A MOSQUITO: Experience tells us that preventing the bite is the key – scientifically and cost-effectively - to warding off the 70 or more insect-borne illnesses, such as malaria, dengue fever & encephalitis, that plague the planet, particularly between the tropics. Now, a young Paraguayan company says it can do just that through its recently launched line of shirts that are impregnated with a natural mosquito repellant ... Full Article

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT TO INDIA HAS INCREASED BY MORE THAN 20 PER CENT: According to the World Investment Report, released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to South, East, and South-East Asia, including Oceania, reached a new high of US$165 billion in 2005, a 19% increase over 2004 ... Full Article

MUHAMMAD YUNUS, THE ''BANKER TO THE POOR,'' WINS THE NOBEL PRIZE: The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2006, divided into two equal parts, to Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank for their efforts to create economic and social development from below ... Full Article