-The Hindu     Insufficient number of classrooms, unusable toilets, no playground Chennai: Fifty-three percent of Adi Dravidar schools are functioning without sufficient number of classrooms in the northern districts of Tamil Nadu, according to a recent study conducted by Samakalvi Iyakkam, a movement for child rights. The Samakalvi Iyakkam-Tamilnadu conducted the study on 90 Adi Dravidar Welfare Schools in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Vilupuram districts. In several places, as the boundaries were...

-The Hindu Tiruvannamalai: The field is almost dry but for brief wet patches. Yet, the paddy crop in it is prosperous with grain-rich panicles looking down the earth. The small plot of land located in a nondescript village near Polur thus shines in a State that still debates on whether its farmers can go for Kuruvai crop as there is no promise of water, by saying "You vie for gallons to...

-The Hindu Carbon credit system paying rich dividends to farmers too Chennai: In a silent afforestation campaign, a private company has successfully raised more than a million trees on private lands in five districts in the State and recorded a survival rate of 90 per cent. Giving details to The Hindu about the successful planting of saplings and raising them to trees, A. Joseph Rexon, Director, TIST Tree Planting India programme, said it...

It has served as a tool to ease tension in Kandhamal and ethnic conflict among Manipur's tribal groups Officials rewarded for ingenuity at function celebrating completion of five years of MGNREGS Eight District Magistrates from across India rewarded for efforts in their respective districts Pepping up the rural economy, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is also a magic wand for reducing tensions and forging social unity and bonding family...

The Sarva Siksha Abiyan (SSA) has been taking all efforts to improve the standard of education of the less privileged Narikuravas and Irulas in the district. Among the 10 blocks in the district, non-enrolment these people in schools is predominant in Thaly, Kelamangalam, Shoolagiri, Hosur and Uthangarai adjoining the reserve forests. The composition of the Irula children in the Residential Bridge Course (RBC) centres is about 30 per cent. The...