-The Hindu Emphasising the medically proven links between malnutrition and sanitation, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his support in sustaining a hike in the 12th Five Year Plan's allocation for drinking water and sanitation. In his letter, Mr. Ramesh has referenced a 2009 article from medical journal The Lancet , which shows that a key cause of child undernutrition is a sub-clinical disorder...
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CVC's reference to CBI puts PMO under cloud-Rakesh K Singh
-The Pioneer In what could puncture the Government’s defence that there were no irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks when the Coal Ministry was under the charge of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has specifically asked the CBI to look into the role of Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the Screening Committee of the Coal Ministry. The CVC has also asked the agency to probe why auction...
More »Recovering Budhni Mejhan from the silted landscape of modern India-Chitra Padmanabhan
Of late, a childhood friend's 80-year-old mother has taken to writing. Emboldened by her single-mindedness, memories dulled by a lifetime of contingencies now respond readily to the daily rustle of pen on paper. One memory stands out in Surjit Kaur's mind. In 1957, as a fresh eyed schoolteacher from Delhi she went on an educational tour to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. It was 10 years after Independence...
More »RURAL URBAN DIVIDE: A TALE OF TWO INDIAS
A government report lends credence to the notion of “two Indias”, or the distinction between “India” and “Bharat” – a theme often debated in recent years. At a time when urban India is growing and policy makers have expressed clear preference for the trend, this report, by National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), brings India’s deep urban-rural divide into focus, showing disparities in scale and levels of expenditure and consumption and, equally...
More »RTI made easy: Government to set up call centres, website for filing applications
Soon, anyone would be able to file an RTI application over the phone, with help and guidance from a call centre as well as through a website While the government is consistently blamed for diluting the RTI (Right to Information) Act in several ways besides making illogical amendments at the state level, it is gearing up to make filing of RTI applications by just making a phone call. Citizens will not...
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