In a recent Gazette notification, the Government of India has removed the controversial provisions made in the PDS Control Order that was issued in March, 2015. This means that no more there will be a ceiling placed on the number of Antyodaya cards issued by any state. The earlier order, which was issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on 20 March, 2015, says that "when...
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Machines set to foray into job scheme -Basant Kumar Mohanty
-The Telegraph New Delhi: The national rural employment scheme is set to allow use of labour-displacing machinery in all activities in a move that, social Activists say, would defeat the objective of guaranteed 100 days' work to a rural household. The rural development ministry is set to amend its guidelines under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to allow use of machinery such as JCBs, rollers, mechanical mixers and...
More »RTI Activists give a thumbs down
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI) has put out a detailed analysis on the Kejriwal government's Delhi Janlokpal Bill 2015. Pointing out that as per the draft the Janlokpal is not independent of the government, the report also questions the silence over how expenses will be met. NCPRI, which has been continuously questioning the government's decision to bring the bill without any public consultations,...
More »Amid ‘strict VHP vigil’, cow sales at Pushkar down 94 per cent -Mahim Pratap Singh
-The Indian Express Arrivals of cows, bulls, calves also down, to 452 from over 4,000 four years ago; IG says no complaints of smuggling. Pushkar: The famous cattle fair at Pushkar held earlier this month saw a drop in cow sales by 94 per cent over the past two years. The number of cows brought to the fair, an important event on the cattle trade calendar for its immense tourism value, saw...
More »Rationalist Narendra Dabholkar fought gender bias in temples -Shoumojit Banerjee
-The Hindu Pune: In 2000, he led a campaign demanding entry for women into the Shani Shingnapur temple. The trail-blazing activism by rationalist firebrand Narendra Dabholkar, who was killed by right-wing elements, and his Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS) to combat the ban on women entering temples was a vital phase in the organisation’s untiring efforts to strive for gender equality in Maharashtra. While the struggle commenced with the usual raucous noises...
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