Panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh have thrown up many curious phenomena. Everyone involved with the panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh seems to love it. Sons, brothers, sons-in-law of MLAs contesting for seats at the village, tehsil or district levels in vast numbers are happy because the vidhayak mahoday is campaigning on their behalf, making full use of the party machinery. Wives and daughters-in-law from ‘influential families' are delighted because their family's...

The mammoth Rs 2,162 cr NREGA biometric project that will enable real time data capture of crucial processes such as attendance and measurement for muster roll preparation has finally kicked off with rural development ministry inviting expression of interest from the private sector companies. “The ministry of rural development envisages that the existing processes under NREGA can be digitized through a biometric based ICT solution that can be implemented at the...

Noted development economist and Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen talks about how government funds find their way into insurgent hands, and why the government is unable to check this. There are a number of reports that suggest that development funds are landing in the wrong hands. What are the various aspects of fund diversions? It's a well-reported fact that public money is finding its way into the hands of extremists. There...

Stating that "nothing moves without money", the Supreme Court has expressed concern over growing corruption in government machinery, particularly in the Income Tax, Sales Tax and Excise Departments. "It is very unfortunate that there is no control over corruption in the country. There is rampant corruption particularly in the department of Income Tax, Sales Tax and Excise Department. Nothing moves without money," a Bench of Justices Markandeya Katju and T S...

Elsewhere, people may be obsessed with the Commonwealth Games, but games of a different kind are being played in UP villages these days. Panchayat elections in UP are round the corner and these are being fought with an intensity not seen before. The poll are still three days away and at least eight persons have lost their lives in the last 15 days in the polls-related violence. Hoardings dot countryside; feasts...