GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

The Silent Backbone of Healthcare: The Vital Role and Struggles of ASHA Workers

The one million Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in India have played a pivotal role in improving healthcare access by increasing institutional deliveries and vaccination rates, and by bringing essential services to remote and marginalized communities. Their efforts have been instrumental in advancing the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of healthcare, as outlined in General Comment 14 of the United…

Advancing well-being and progress: WHO’s Healthy Cities Initiative for health-driven development

Background India’s rapid urbanization necessitates a focus on healthy urban planning, presenting an opportunity to revive the WHO Healthy Cities approach. The country’s urban areas face challenges like poorly equipped healthcare systems, air and water pollution, road traffic injuries, and pandemic vulnerabilities. Healthy city planning is gradually emerging in India, guided by past experiences, WHO tools, resources, and the “SMART”…

REPORT: Impact of excessive screen time on children’s health in the context of virtual autism

The JK Policy Institute, a think tank dedicated to sustainable development, organized the ‘Expert Talk Series’ as a special initiative. The aim was to foster dialogue and gather inputs from subject matter experts across various fields pertaining to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This particular session was part of the series focused on SDG 3 – Good Health…

Kashmir’s Changing River Beds and the Looming Threat of Floods

The world grapples with the recurring menace of floods, and the Kashmir Valley is no stranger to this peril. In a recent episode, relentless downpours rekindled the haunting recollections of the catastrophic deluge that engulfed the region in 2014. Regrettably, despite nearly a decade having elapsed since that calamity, it is disheartening to observe that the lessons from that ordeal…

Reopening of educational institutions in J&K: Challenges and opportunities

As the situation improved and the increased risk of COVID-19 transmission lessened, the government of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir ordered reopening of all educational institutions in a phased manner. This welcome decision marked the end of what can be reasonably described as one of the longest shutdowns of educational institutions in the world, spanning two and a…

Kashmir conflict and shattered dreams of youth

The three-decade old Kashmir conflict has sent thousands of body-bags into untimely graves. Mukhtar Dar explains how the lack of foresight and investment in education has led

Expert Talk Series

The Expert Talk Series is a special initiative of the Jammu and Kashmir Policy Institute (JKPI), where we seek to source inputs and recommendations from experts in various fields related to different sustainable development goals through one-on-one dialogues. As an organization, JKPI believes in multi-stakeholder dialogues as one of the most important components in building a shared vision for development…

Empowering rural women: Catalysts of change in India’s rural development

Rural development in India is a multifaceted and complex challenge that mandates active engagement of multiple stakeholders. Among these, women are key catalysts of economic and development agenda whose role can neither be ignored nor underestimated. It becomes imperative to account for their contribution to the rural transformation. This article explores the vital role of women in rural development, highlighting…

Cement factories in Kashmir must balance the relationship between economic gain & environmental protection

Kashmir Valley is known for its natural beauty and wildlife throughout the world. However, the fragile ecosystems of Kashmir are facing a lot of problems that require immediate attention. Among many issues is the problem of cement factories in Kashmir and their location. As per the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), ten cement plants are operating…

Here is why you should consider adopting a slow lifestyle.

Why on Earth are we trying to hurry? It is not good to be lazy or procrastinate, but what’s required is slowing down. A slower lifestyle helps calm nerves, make deep personal connections, and, paradoxically, allows way more time than when we are frantically moving around. One has to recognize that slowing down is a choice open to all. Even…

Factors that halt process of development contribute to conflict. Corruption is one of them.

Javaid Trali It is no wonder that places, where the impact of corruption is corrosive, are prone to conflict – one causing and exacerbating the other. Jammu and Kashmir, a case in point, is facing conflict as well as corruption with the latter mostly, though not entirely, sustaining and perpetuating the former. Here it is important to clarify. Conflict came…

July-2024