-The Times of India With the introduction of a minimum educational qualification to contest Panchayat Elections, an overwhelming majority of the rural population in Haryana and Rajasthan rural population has been effectively barred from contesting. In Haryana the minimum qualification is matriculation for unreserved seats while it is class eighth for seats reserved for women and scheduled caste candidates. Census 2011 data shows that only 16% of the rural population aged 20 or...

-The Times of India PATNA: If you want to become Mukhiya, Pramukh, district board chairperson or even a ward member of your gram-panchayat by contesting panchayat polls in Bihar, you must have to construct a toilet at your individual home. Bihar Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed a legislation- the Bihar Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2015, bringing some new provisions including making it mandatory for candidates contesting all level of panchayat raj elections...

-PTI Ahmedabad: Gujarat government issued a notification in Ahmedabad on making voting compulsory for people of the state during elections to local self governing bodies. Incidentally, the bill was introduced when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat. The notification would mean that people have to compulsorily vote from now onwards during elections held for municipal corporations, municipalities, and all village panchayats. The Act has also made provisions to penalise those who...

-Deccan Herald Bengaluru: Residents of Seegehalli, located near Hopefarm Junction in Whitefield, are privileged to enjoy clean drinking water, good roads and an efficient waste management system - thanks to the efforts of the Seegehalli Gram Panchayat. In contrast to the roads falling under BBMP limits, the roads of Seegehalli, which is around five km from Whitefield, are good and motorists do not dread riding around, residents claim.   The panchayat has passed a...

-The Indian Express According to government data, percentage of households without toilets in Odisha is an alarming 88 per cent. Odisha and Bihar, two states which have consistently demanded a special category status from the Centre on account of being backward, figure among the worst states in India when it comes to household toilets. According to the Baseline Survey – 2012 report of the Swachh Bharat Mission under the aegis of the Ministry...