By Nitin Rao
           

Consider the paradox of America and India. In today’s world of industrial interconnectivity, outsourcing, and global community, the two are profoundly intertwined. Now consider the polarity of the educational destinies for the youth of each nation. Of course, there are exceptions to both. There are Indian preparatory schools, as there are American preparatory schools, where children awake to a world of ironed linen and crisp ties, the fruits of life encased in a financial hammock.

The mobile phone is enabling people at the bottom of the pyramid to widen their markets.

For instance, it provides vendors timely information about crowd gatherings, a potential market. It comes in handy for the watermelon vendor during the nine months of off-season when he can find work as a repairman.

Indeed, thousands of artisans are finding that the mobile connects them to their markets and even opens new markets for them.

M. Thanaletchumy is cleaning her small stall outside a block of low-cost apartments where she lives, when two hungry customers come by.

They want idly, or steamed rice cakes, but everything is sold out. It’s late morning in Selayang, Kuala Lumpur, and the 50-year-old single mother has made RM90 from selling roti canai and other snacks.

The fishermen from the Indian village of Chidambaram live a hard life. They sleep most of the day, then spend the night out on the water.

For light during those dark hours, they have long depended on wobbly kerosene lamps that were easily blown out or, worse, toppled by the wind, risking deadly fires on their boats.

The fishermen from the Indian village of Chidambaram live a hard life. They sleep most of the day, then spend the night out on the water. For light during those dark hours, they have long depended on wobbly kerosene lamps that were easily blown out or, worse, toppled by the wind, risking deadly fires on their boats.

At Hansiba, a store near Connaught Place, the silk stoles and handmade evening bags don’t come cheap. An elaborate bedspread costs just under Rs4,000. But the staff is quick to explain: It was painstakingly made by seven female artisans in Gujarat, each adding her special touch.

Project teams from nine developing countries were awarded for their innovative approaches to sustainable energy last night (21 June).

The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy, held in London, United Kingdom, awarded ventures from Bangladesh, China, India, Laos and Tanzania first prizes of US$60,000 each to further their schemes. Projects from Ghana, India, Nepal, Peru and the Philippines were awarded second place prizes of US$20,000.

A UN project in India has given thousands of people in rural areas access to reliable electricity by enabling them to take out small loans to purchase solar panels.

The project, launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2003 in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, facilitated over 18,000 loans for solar panels over three years.