-Down to Earth The scheme's Management Information System destroys local accountability, promotes centralisation and administrative control and gives out wrong data There is an increasing tendency in the Union government to show performances of central schemes, especially social welfare programmes, through data captured by the Management Information System (MIS). It is indeed a matter of astonishment how the MIS data always shows high performances of schemes and programmes, while ground surveys and...

-The Hindu Business Line The BJP faces its toughest battle in Rajasthan, where rural agrarian distress is more acute than elsewhere It has been a long summer for Anirudh Meena. The farmer from Kota in Rajasthan is still waiting for the government to financially compensate his brother Hukumchand Meena’s family. A garlic farmer, Humukchand took his life in May, after the price of the bulb came crashing down, leading to heavy financial...

-The Hindu Constable Archana Jain caught the attention of her seniors after photos of her working at her desk with her six-month-old daughter sleeping on the table were widely shared on social media. Lucknow: For police personnel, there is no running away from stress. But if we add to that the pressure and responsibilities that come with motherhood, day-to-day routine becomes even more demanding. This was true for Archana Jain, a woman constable...

-The Hindu The CEO of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana on the challenges and scope of the scheme and responses from the States Indu Bhushan is the CEO of the world’s largest government-funded health insurance scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23. Until his appointment as CEO of PM-JAY, Mr. Bhushan served as director general for the East Asia...

-Livemint.com Distributing biofortified staple foods via government schemes such as Midday Meal can help in the battle against hidden hunger Iron deficiency and anemia are well-recognized and persistent problems in India, exacting a toll that goes much beyond measurable health problems. Most Indian government initiatives targeting anemia so far have had limited success in achieving large-scale impact. Solving these problems require an innovative approach that can reach the most affected segment of the...