-The Hindu The Centre's rural employment guarantee scheme can be substantially improved, but it has undeniably helped Dalits, Adivasis and women find work In an era of growing globalisation and rising inequality, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) stands out as a unique attempt to provide a social safety net via a massive public works programme. The government as an employer of the last resort is an idea that...

-The Times of India KOLKATA: The climate adaptation wing of WWF-India is currently working on a pilot project to transform van rickshaws, a highly polluting and illegal commuter and goods carrier popularly used in semi-urban and rural Bengal, into an environment-friendly and legitimate mode of transport. "We are working towards a viable alternative to the mechanized van rickshaws that currently run on diesel and kerosene and are extremely polluting. Battery operated...

-Responding to Climate Change Forthcoming UN study could reveal median crop yields may fall by up to 2% per decade for the rest of century Scientists are gradually narrowing uncertainty over the impact of climate change on food production, pointing towards a more pessimistic picture. The degree to which people can adapt to climate change is part of a wider debate about the urgency of cutting carbon emissions. Adaptation is especially relevant to agriculture,...

-Odisha Samachar Bhubaneswar (Odisha): The ICDS programme is being implemented in Odisha with the mandate to check Child malnutrition, Infant Mortality rate, Maternal Mortality Rate by providing nutritious food to the children, pregnant and lactating women. Despite a number of circulars being issued and huge fund sanctioned, implementation of ICDS programme has been disastrous in the state. Huge corruption, delay in release of fund, low quality of food, poor monitoring and...

-The Hindustan Times UPA's two programmes named after India's biggest political icons --- Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru --- have failed to deliver desired outcomes, the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) has said. The IEO, a body under the Planning Commission, is taking up a detailed study on the UPA's key schemes --- Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MG-NREGA) aimed at creating infrastructure...