Food security in the villages of Jharkhand — particularly Chandwa block in Latehar — is extremely low, prompting thousands to migrate to nearby towns in search of livelihood, a study conducted by two students of SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (Mumbai) has found out. The study further showed that the villages are teeming with youngsters — average age is 24 years — while the population of 60 years...

Leads to cancer and fluorosis that damages bones, teeth, muscles  West Bengal is the worst-affected State in terms of arsenic contamination “The problem is being ignored because those who must address it consume bottled water” About 1.80-lakh rural habitations are afflicted by poor water quality leading to serious health problems such as cancer and fluorosis that damages bones, teeth and muscles. Arsenic contamination has been reported in nine States, fluoride problem in 18...

India grapples with endemic backwardness in over 200 districts while some sectors and sections make global headlines. The Centre on Market Solutions to Poverty's report, Creating Vibrant Public-Private-Panchayat Partnerships for Inclusive Growth through Inclusive Governance explores this paradox by looking at the ground-level realities in local governance through the Panchayati Raj, the issues of agricultural productivity and value addition, and the role that the business sector could play in rural...

For nearly three decades, Selvi V. has lived in a village in the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu, 75km from Chennai, without a toilet. And there really wasn’t any need felt to have one in this family of daily wage farm labourers. Selvi and her now-married daughter would wake up either early every morning or wait until dark to relieve themselves in a thicket of thorny shrubs a little distance...

The ministry of rural development is looking to relax its norms so as to be able to extend assistance to the poor segments of the population who are not at present officially classified as living below the poverty line (BPL). It is going to do so by linking eligibility for the only Centrally sponsored scheme investing in skill development of the BPL population to the government’s marquee rural development initiative under...