-Business Standard Official panel points to bid deficiencies in rural job guarantee, pensions, housing and other programmes Wage payment delays are a distressing feature of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), an official panel says. This has to be adequately addressed, by  the Centre and states, to keep the programme’s spirit alive, it has said. It and some other findings of concern are the result of a multi-state Common Review...

-Hindustan Times Drinking water shortages are known to spark scuffles , but last week, it led to Sunil Giri, 23, losing his life. Giri was beaten to death in the Ramgarh district of Jharkhand for objecting to his neighbour Anwar Hussain taking more than his share from a drinking-water tanker that had reached the drought-affected village after several days. Similar violence over water sharing has also been reported from water-scarce districts in...

-The Hindu Figuring out key parameters on which to measure a State’s performance provides a playbook of best practices for others to follow. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of 2005 (MGNREGA) aims at “enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing 100 days of wage-employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.” In the financial year...

-The Indian Express Nearly three months after receiving the letter, the state is yet to take a call on the issue. Bhopal: Despite CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s known opposition to eggs, the Centre has written to madhya pradesh government to consider including boiled eggs in anganwadi meals and mid-day meal scheme to fight malnutrition. “Boiled eggs can be hygienic and a cheap source of protein required for children, expectant/ pregnant women and nursing...

-The Hindu Business Line Advisory urges Kerala farmers to undertake nursery for rice, vegetables and orchard crop Thiruvananthapuram: Meteorological subdivision-level rainfall forecast indicates rainfall activity over South India during June 3 to 9, which can bring the onset of the South-West monsoon. Normal date for onset over Kerala is June 1. The June 3-9 window has been projected in the national agro-met advisory service bulletin based on extended range weather forecast valid for...