The first five years in the life of most laws is usually a tumultuous period when it moves towards maturity through its application and implementation, and its limits are tested and defined through judicial interpretation. How has the RTI Act fared, where is it now, and what about the future? Danubhai G. Vasava, a poor tribal from Sangroad in Umarpada block of Gujarat’s Surat district, attended a Right to Information (RTI)...

Prepares a model amendment draft for Goa Panchayati Raj Draft amendments to be debated Clear division of functions, assets proposed Right to Information activist Arvind Kejriwal has suggested a series of powers to strengthen the Gram Sabhas including decision making powers about village affairs and a right to recall Sarpanch for failing to function according to decisions of the Gram Sabha. In a model amendment draft for the Goa Panchayati Raj already put in...

At least 5000 farmers of the district's Sadar block will not get insurance claims of their crops that got damaged in drought last year due to wrong assessment report of the officials. A four-member block-level team comprising block agriculture officer, junior statistics supervisor, block cooperative officer and circle inspector had submitted its report after field assessment in four selected areas, which included four large multi-purpose cooperative society (LAMPS) plots in Lohardaga,...

Last year, paddy cultivation suffered owing to drought in 399 districts during the same period Area under coarse cereals is also up by 2.91 per cent at 21.2 million hectares this year Thanks to good monsoon, the area under rice cultivation this kharif season has gone up by 6.4 per cent. Last year, paddy cultivation had suffered owing to drought in 399 districts during the same period. As per the official data released...

‘Under no circumstances the labourers should be paid less than the wage rate' Angry workers returned the Re.1-wages to the government on October 2 Rural Development Ministry considering possibility of paying bonus to workers The Centre has decided to direct the Rajasthan government to pay the admissible wage rate under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) to those workers of Tonk district who were paid a mere pittance of Re....