With the inability to closely follow-up on women during their pregnancy period impairing its ability to bring down maternal mortality rate, the State government has rolled up its sleeves to address the problem. The solution, here too, seems to lie in technology. The Directorate of Public Health has commissioned the use of the Pregnancy Infant COHORT Monitoring Evaluation (PICME) software for all staff members, primarily in all primary health centres (PHC),...

The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on fertilisers today approved the prices of complex fertilisers for the upcoming financial year 2011-2012. The EGoM, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, approved the prices of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), muriate of potash (MOP), sulphur and urea for the purposes of its nitrogen component at $580, $390, $180 and $350 per tonne, respectively. These are the prices at which contracting by the industry would be...

This budget season, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is stuck juggling multiple imperatives. Big social-sector schemes are soaking up money; yes, the economy is rebounding, but growth needs careful watching; the fiscal deficit is widening, feeding inflationary fears; and, as usual, every ministry wants more money. It doesn’t surprise much, therefore, that the finance ministry is looking for ways in which government expenditure can be managed better. One giant hole has...

Tribal communities are vulnerable not only because they are poor, assetless and illiterate compared to the general population, their distinct vulnerability arises from their inability to negotiate and cope with the consequences of their forced integration with the mainstream economy, society, and cultural and political system. The repercussions for the already fragile socio-economic livelihood base of the tribals have been devastating—ranging from loss of livelihoods, land alienation on a vast...

The ministry of rural development has demanded a nearly 60% increase in the allocation for its marquee job guarantee scheme in the forthcoming Union budget for fiscal 2011-12. The ministry has sought an allocation of around Rs. 64,000 crore, up from Rs. 41,100 crore, for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), a ministry official said, requesting anonymity. MGNREGS, the flagship programme of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government...