-Scroll.in The former Planning Commission member explains why the country needs to tread carefully on this idea. On January 1, when Indian news agency ANI asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the government’s plans to reduce agrarian distress, he said loan waivers do not work as a very small segment of farmers take loans from banks. “A majority of them take loans from money lenders,” said Modi. “When governments make such announcements,...
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In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Floundering MGNREGS Angers People -Subodh Varma
-Newsclick.in A combination of fund squeeze and political aversion has deprived lakhs of people from getting MGNREGS work, even though wages are very low. As the job crisis rages unabated across the country, demand for work under the rural jobs guarantee programme (MGNREGS – Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) has risen dramatically in the past few years. In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the two big states where polling for Assembly...
More »Understanding the Problems of India's Sanitation Workers -Nirat Bhatnagar
-TheWire.in While no one can argue that India may moving in the right direction in terms of sanitation, all is not well. Despite increasing focus by the government and programmes such as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, unsafe sanitation work, loosely captured under the catch-all phrase manual scavenging, still exists in India. There are five million people employed in sanitation work of some sort in India with about two million of them working...
More »Jharkhand may soon declare 50% blocks drought-hit -Sanjoy Dey
-Hindustan Times Delayed and deficient monsoon rains have caused major damage to the farmers this kharif season in Jharkhand. The state has faced 28% rainfall deficit. It has received 784.4mm rainfall against the normal of 1092 mm from June 1 to September 30. Ranchi: Jharkhand government may declare 50% blocks of the state as drought hit after a field verification, which is likely to be completed in a week, officials said...
More »India's abject failure on manual scavenging -Partha Pratim Mitra
-The Telegraph Despite being prohibited the practice remains widespread and unmodernised, and violators are not punished The death of five sanitation workers in Delhi is a grim reminder of the hostile conditions that confront manual scavenging in India. Manual scavenging has been prohibited by law. Yet, it remains unchecked. There is also a distinct lack of effort to make this objectionable occupation safe and dignified. This is the net result of institutional...
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