It’s that time of year again – Atlas Corps is seeking fellows for their 2009-2010 fellowship.  This is a great opportunity for nonprofit/NGO leaders from around the world (including India!) to learn from, experience, and exchange ideas with organizations in Washington,…

The ThinkChange India staff is committed to providing our readers with interviews with people we believe are at the brink of something special but have for the most part been overlooked by the mainstream media. Readers will be able to…

[Story source: Business Standard]

Recently, Business Standard carried three articles under the Smart Cards byline. The articles – “Smart choice, sloppy plan“, “Andhra villagers now have pension on their fingertips“, “From Dhenakal to Bellary” – track the introduction of smart cards…

Editor’s Note: Aparna Dalal works with the Financial Access Initiative, a research consortium between New York University, Harvard, Yale, and Innovations for Poverty Action. FAI is focused on finding answers to how financial services can better meet the needs of poor…

Some titillating headlines:

Microfinance:

• Whole Planet Foundation (WPF), a Whole Foods Market nonprofit that “empowers individuals in the global community through entrepreneurship” recently announced the creation of the Whole Planet Foundation Supplier Alliance for Microcredit (WPFSAM), a coalition of natural foods companies that aims…

For your reading pleasure:

• Government and Inflation: After meeting with the Cabinet Committee on Prices, PM Manmohan Singh announced a multitude of measures to rein in inflation. In related news, rising prices could deal a significant blow to the US-India nuclear…

• Renewable Energy: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in India has announced a demonstration programme to support mega watt size grid interactive solar power generation projects, up to a maximum capacity of 50 MW, in the country. Similar efforts have…

Sify.com reports that Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in partnership with ICICI Lombard General Insurance has launched a health insurance scheme for differently-abled individuals living below the poverty line:

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has awarded the mandate to…

From PSD Blog — World Bank Group:

A new health insurance plan will enable the poor in India to buy health insurance for less than 10 cents a month, and it will cover natural disasters including Tsunamis.

The new program is a…