-TheWire.in On Tuesday evening, the central government announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes will no longer be legal tender, starting from midnight November 8. Addressing the nation, Modi said this move was needed to tackle the “disease of black money”. The Wire spoke to experts in the field on whether or not they thought this was good idea, whether it was a useful move in curbing black money and what...
More »SEARCH RESULT
Government Responds to Story on Rural Development Ministry's WhatsApp Group -Nitin Sethi
-TheWire.in Nitin Sethi responds to the rural development ministry’s defence to reports that it used a WhatsApp group to tell states to stop creating MGNREGA work. Ministry of rural development (MORD) clarifies: The reports are not a summary of the reality. It has questioned the intent of the government on the basis of an informal communication of a joint secretary of the department. The informal communication of a joint secretary does not...
More »Massive Slump in MNREGA Work After Centre's Unofficial Instructions -Nitin Sethi
-TheWire.in The Centre’s off-record instructions through WhatsApp and a squeeze on funds made the rural work programme crash after a roaring first half of the year. This is second of a two-part series. Read part one here. The WhatsApp messages from the central rural development ministry to states had a chilling effect on the work given under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) after the roaring demand growth in the...
More »It Will Take More than a Loan Waiver for Punjab's Farmers to Stop Killing Themselves -Devinder Sharma
-TheWire.in Congress and AAP aim to write off farm loans if they come to power in Punjab. But such measures will only be useful only if accompanied by policy reforms like a sustainable farming system and assured monthly income for farmers. Nirmal Singh, the leader of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta) from Sangrur district in Punjab, committed suicide last week. He was among the few farmer leaders who campaigned against the emerging...
More »Tired of Persecution By 'Gau Rakshaks', Rajasthan's Banjaras Are Raising Their Voice -Paras Banjara, Nikhil Dey and Cheryl D'souza
-TheWire.in For a community that trades in oxen, the rise in cow vigilantism has meant a loss of livelihood. Continued apathy from the state hasn’t helped. Rajasmand, Rajasthan: Dadri, Una and now Railmangra. How many more? Emboldened by their proximity to state power and riding the wave of religious fanaticism, self-appointed gau rakshaks have unleashed terror across the country. For communities that deal with cattle in any form, it has rapidly brought...
More »