As the election dates have just been declared for Uttarakhand along with Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, and Manipur, this is as good a time as any to shine a spotlight on an exciting initiative Uttarakhand has embarked on. A new state formed in 2000 (which is fairly young in the Indian federal scheme of things), and its challenges are unique. From limited revenue sources (tourism, its mainstay, has taken a hit since the 2013 flash floods; hence it...

Here’s some trivia to chew on: if Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India, were a country, it would rank among the most populous in the world. Population is widely held as a precious asset, particularly in a country with a young population like India. But to capitalise on that asset, one of the factors that needs to be put in place is health care distribution. Compared to our South Asian neighbours and Sub-Saharan African countries, and also...