In today’s India, status comes with four wheels http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-12/05/content_500536.htm National Highways Authority of India [pdf] http://www.nhai.org/ Solidarity and Action Against the HIV Infection in India [pdf] http://www.saathii.org/ World Health Organization: Regional Office for South-East Asia [pdf] http://w3.whosea.org/en/Section10/Section18.htm U.S. Highways: From US 1 to US 830 http://www.us-highways.com/ For many countries, the development of a modern highway system is considered one of the most important steps on the road to economic prosperity. Of course, such developments can also serves as precursors to the creation of other problems, a situation that India is finding out as they continue work on their own highway system. Currently, India is undergoing a massive highway-building program that will modernize the path of the so-called Golden Quadrilateral, which includes 3,625 miles of national highways. While it is hoped that these developments will bring ease of access to large urban centers, the unintended consequences are quickly becoming apparent. The development of these highways has dramatically increased the rate of rural migration to cities, along with easing the spread of HIV through truckers who stop off at any number of roadside brothels. The HIV situation continues to be of grave concern in India, especially given the lack of knowledge regarding the transmission of the disease among Indian citizens. The first link will lead visitors to a fine story from the International Herald Tribune about the concerns about how the development of the Indian highway system may exacerbate the country’s HIV situation. The second link will take visitors to a piece from the China Daily news service about the status associated with owning an automobile in India. The third link will whisk users away to the homepage of the National Highways of India website. Here visitors can learn about the progress of the work being done on their highways and about their master plan for the coming roadways. The fourth link leads to the homepage of the Solidarity and Action Against the HIV Infection in India (SAATHI) organization, which works to strengthen and expand HIV/AIDS services around India. The fifth link will take users to the site of the World Health Organization’s HIV/AIDS Regional Office for South-East Asia, which serves as an omnibus site for materials on their work in the region. The final link will take users to a nostalgia-filled website that provides information on the old United States highway system. Here visitors can learn about the sites along such fabled routes as US 20, and of course, Route 66.