The first-ever India Human Development Awards Manav Vikas were announced in New Delhi. Kottayam in Kerala, Khargone in Madhya Pradesh; Udupi in Karnataka and Malda in West Bengal have been recognized for excellence in the quality of Human Development Reports for their districts. The overall award for excellence went to West Bengal with two districts amongst the eight finalists.  The Manav Vikas India Human Development Awards, instituted by the Planning Commission...

West Bengal: The murder of two CPI(M) leaders in Bardhaman district points to an increase in political violence in the State. THE brutal murder of Pradip Tah, a former legislator belonging to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or the CPI(M), and Kamal Gayen, another senior leader of the party, in broad daylight, allegedly by Trinamool Congress supporters, in West Bengal's Bardhaman district on February 22 once again points to an...

-The Telegraph The CPM-backed Co-ordination Committee today instructed its members to challenge in the state administrative tribunal (SAT) or the high court the Bengal government’s decision to showcause those employees who remained absent on the day of the Citu-sponsored general strike on February 28. Ananta Banerjee, the general secretary of the Co-ordination Committee, instructed all district unit chiefs to take the officers who issue the show-cause notices to court. The government has decided...

Ritesh Gautam is a resident of a backward area in Pohara village in Dharni tehsil in Melghat. He migrated to Madhya Pradesh in search of work. Manohar Bode from Seamdoh village went to Solapur for the same reason. Both are back home to celebrate Holi, the biggest festival of tribals. Like Gautam and Bode, there are many youth from the region who left home in search of jobs. They are victims...

-The Telegraph Most poor families in Jharkhand may not have heard of the word “bank”. But they are banking on a better future for their daughters, thanks to the ubiquitous village post office, which they are now embracing to reap the benefits of a thoughtful government scheme. Over 2,000 saving accounts have been opened at different post Offices across districts in just one month to tap the Mukhyamantri Ladli Laxmi Yojana that...