Good News: A Road Safe for Wildlife, Care during Care, and More

Heartwarming, world-shaking, awe-inspiring and straight-up happy-making reasons to smile

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Heartwarming, world-shaking, awe-inspiring and straight-up happy-making reasons to smile

Safe for Wildlife

The National Highway Authority of India displayed a shade of altruism towards wildlife by revamping a two-kilometre-long stretch of the Bhopal–Jabalpur highway (NH45) passing through the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve with red ‘table-top’ marking. The marking—a 5-mm-thick red-and-white layer applied on the stretch—is designed to slow down approaching vehicles with its elevation and texture, thereby reducing the possibility of animal-vehicle collisions and giving wildlife a safe passage through the dense forest. The striking colours are aimed at indicating to the commuters that they are passing through a sensitive wildlife zone. Implemented following the unfortunate hit-and-run death of a cheetah cub in Gwalior, the measure is part of an ambitious project worth `122.25 crore on a 11.9-km highway expanse, and aims to build 25 underpasses based on animal movement patterns. Such an initiative is indicative of ethical and environmental considerations that come into play in the design and construction of public infrastructure.

When Credit Turns Human

In Telangana, farmers like Venkatamma and Vijayalakshmi once relied on moneylenders who charged crushing interest—up to 60 per cent a year. A small loan could take a lifetime to repay. Then they met Rang De, a peer‑to‑peer lending platform that treats borrowers as partners, not risks. Through low‑interest loans funded by thousands of ‘social investors’, the women helped set up a farmer‑producer company, cut out middlemen and began selling directly at better prices. Similar stories echo across villages, where tailors buy extra sewing machines and home entrepreneurs open tiny shops. The amounts are modest. The shift in posture is not. Credit, once a source of fear, becomes a bridge to dignity and self‑respect.

Taking Climate Accountability More Seriously

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