-Press Information Bureau   In a first major initiative of involving corporate India in developmental work, the Government of India has sought its partnership in setting up the Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation (BRLF). Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has written letters to corporates like Tatas, Reliance, Wipro and Infosys to join the Foundation as contributing partners, to improve the livelihood of tribals, mostly living in Central and Eastern India. Public sector NABARD...

 Poverty could not rein in the spirit of this youth and hold him back from fighting his way through all odds.  Unlike many youngsters in his neighbourhood who had resigned to fate, Monoranjan Bera worked hard to change his destiny. Bera has ranked 50th in the IIT entrance examination to a joint MSc-PhD programme.  Bera, living in a single room tenement at Bhatapukur in Kharagpur, can serve as an example to youngsters.  "One...

HINDIYANKALAN, India – One afternoon last November, 10 people in this eastern Indian village sat in a circle on a dirt road and told us about their fight against hunger. We wanted to know: What would drive a person to eat a poisoned root? I was on a research assignment with my colleague Ankita Aggarwal from the Centre for Equity Studies, a New Delhi think tank. It was part of a...

A group of 21 jailed Maoists, led by former “sub-zonal commander” of the Sone-Ganga-Vindhyazal zone Sudama Oraon, have accused senior comrades of “living in town” and exploiting the lower cadre, mostly illiterate and poor tribals. In a two-page “press release” on jail application paper, duly signed or carrying their thumb impression, the 21 say the senior Maoists “hobnob with jungle mafia and landlords, embezzle party funds and put the blame on...

-PTI The opposition Congress today demanded a CBI probe into the alleged illegal mining in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh. The demand was made by leader of opposition Ajay Singh while releasing a book based on the issues raised by the Congress during the debate on the no-confidence motion tabled in the House in the last winter session. The book, `Madhya Pradesh Ki Janata Ka Avishwas, Darakti Sarkar' was released by Ajay in the...