Prominent Indian environmentalist and TIME Magazine’s “Hero of the Planet” Professor Veer Bhadra Mishra sadly passed away this week. Mr Mishra was the mahanth, or High Priest, of the famous Sankat Mochan Temple in Varanasi, established by the poet-saint Goswami Tulsidas. Mr Mishra dedicated much of his life to attempting to clean up the Ganges River. Mr Mishra was recognised on the United Nations Environment Programme's 'Global 500 Roll of Honour' in 1992 and was one of the expert members of the National Ganga (Ganges) River Basin Authority.

Australia and India will begin negotiations for the sale of Australian uranium to the subcontinent this month. Officials from both sides will start the process of hammering out a nuclear safeguards agreement in Delhi on March 19, but it is likely to be two years before a deal is signed and sales begin. A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said there was no time frame for talks to be completed. India will be the first customer for Australian uranium not a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. It has between 80 and 100 nuclear weapons but has refused to sign the treaty, arguing it discriminates against emerging nations.

Some two months before the gang rape and subsequent death of a young student in Delhi sparked outrage all over the world, voters on OurSay's The World's Largest Democracy forum chose to have prominent Indian leaders and thinkers answer questions about women's rights and violence against women; pre-empting the world's reaction that something needs to be done about the treatment of women in India. With over 50 proposed questions and over a thousand votes, the two most popular questions related to women, the third questioning the safety of Australia selling uranium to India.

Internationally renowned social activist and granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, Ela Gandhi has visited Melbourne to engage with women victims of domestic violence and visit other institutions aligned with her and her grandfather's belief of non-violence. The eminent South Africa-based thinker and advocate of Gandhian non-violent solutions participated in a program of events framed around the theme “Global Problems, Local Solutions” which included a visit to Collingwood Children's Farm, the Hanover Welfare Services shelter for homeless people, and the University of Melbourne’s Early Learning Centre.