-The Hindustan Times     On the first day on his job, rural development minister Gopinath Munde hinted that the Modi government could go for restructuring of the rural job scheme NREGA.   He also defended the land acquisition bill saying it was not against industrialisation and urbanization.   Talking to reporters after taking charge on Tuesday, he said he liked NREGA but it needed changes. "This scheme is best for villages. Basically, people get employment, but proper...

-The Hindustan Times   What was inconceivable only few days ago in the corridors of the rural development ministry is now openly being pitched for - how to scale down UPA government's brainchild NREGA. Ministry officials are busy drawing up a blueprint for the new government to tweak NREGA in a bid to increase the efficiency of the 2006 rural job guarantee scheme. Some of the proposed changes include a focus on select blocks...

-The Hindustan Times   New Delhi: "Leave Holiday Homework Worries. Get Holiday Homework for all classes done by Experts," reads an ad posted on OLX, an advertising portal. Teachers may not like it, but it appears that students who despise working on their holiday assignments have found a solution - to get the homework done by contacting some of these "experts". While children laze around through the ongoing summer vacation, there are plenty...

-The Hindustan Times   The all-powerful Planning Commission may shrink, made more accountable, and forced to think long-term under the new government. Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi is likely to dilute its over-arching financial powers and convert it into a developmental think-tank. Five Year Plans, the main mandate of the Planning Commission, may be scrapped. Instead, the panel may have to draft plans with 10-30 years on its horizon. The 12th Five Year Plan...

-The Hindustan Times   The Aadhaar scheme, touted as ‘gamechanger' by the UPA government, ended up hurting the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls, said outgoing Union food and consumer affairs minister KV Thomas. "The Aadhaar initiative, and the objective of linking welfare schemes with it, didn't find favour with the people. The decision was not appreciated by voters," Thomas told HT on the eve of the Congress Working Committee meeting on Monday,...