-The Indian Express The growing influence on policy issues of activists who call themselves “civil society” is a worrying trend and needs to be objectively analysed. Two recent policy pronouncements will illustrate how government seems to be yielding to their pressure. It is well established that absenteeism of teachers and poor quality of outcomes in government schools is the main factor behind the popularity of private schools with poor infrastructure that cater...
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Clinical trial relief norms flawed -Rema Nagarajan
-The Times of India The new Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) guidelines meant to help calculate compensation in case of clinical trial related injury or death in a fair and equitable manner seem to be loaded against the very people it is meant to help. The guidelines suggest a formula based on the income of the injured or dead person along with age and severity of disease. Such a formula raises...
More »Madhya Pradesh: 'Cash transfer scheme' already in force in state?
-DNA Bhopal: The state government on Tuesday said the 'cash transfer scheme' announced by the Central government recently was already in place here. "The process of transferring amounts of subsidy directly into bank accounts of beneficiaries is already in place in Madhya Pradesh with a view to preventing leakage in govt subsidy schemes and ensuring transparency in selection of beneficiaries", read a press statement issued by the government. According to it, Chief Minister...
More »State criticised for ICDS -Sayli Udas Mankikar
-The Hindustan Times The Maharashtra chapter of the central government's flagship Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) has criticised the state government for lack of transparency in the contract allocation process, saying it was done to favour the same vested parties. The principal adviser of the office of commissioner Biraj Patnaik, who drafted the reports, expressed the need for the institution of a Special Investigation Team to investigate the matter. Hindustan Times, on Saturday,...
More »Maharashtra food scam: Private companies eat up Rs 1,000cr meant for poor -Nitin Sethi
-The Times of India Private companies have hijacked the government's flagship scheme to provide food to poor children and their mothers, the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), with contractors in Maharashtra alone controlling Rs 1,000 crore worth of supplies in contravention of Supreme Court orders, a report of the SC commissioners office has said. The SC orders bar contractors from supplying rations under the scheme. It only permits village communities, self-help groups...
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