-The Hindu 2018 alone has seen the death of five petitioners Patna: While the recent brazen murders of businessmen and a bank official in Bihar has caught media attention, the State is equally dangerous for Right to Information (RTI) activists, with five of them been killed in 2018 alone. The latest victim was Bhola Sah. Mr. Sah, who was supervising the construction of his house in Banarjhop village in Banka district, was asked...

-Down to Earth The scheme's Management Information System destroys local accountability, promotes centralisation and administrative control and gives out wrong data There is an increasing tendency in the Union government to show performances of central schemes, especially social welfare programmes, through data captured by the Management Information System (MIS). It is indeed a matter of astonishment how the MIS data always shows high performances of schemes and programmes, while ground surveys and...

-TheWire.in Claims have remained unpaid even after the stipulated period of two months has long passed. New Delhi: In January 2016, when the Narendra Modi led government announced the new crop insurance scheme – Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) – it had said that one of the key improvements over previous schemes would be that claims would be settled on time. However, RTI data received and reviewed by The Wire has revealed...

-The Hindu Seizures from premises of Christy Friedgram Industry included documents related to suspicious payments and classified documents like proposals for posting of IAS officers. Chennai: The Income Tax Department has unearthed documents that expose an alleged nexus between a major supplier of food items for Tamil Nadu’s flagship noon meal scheme and politicians, bureaucrats and their associates. Analysis of electronic storage devices and documents seized from the premises of Tiruchengode-based Christy Friedgram...

-TheWire.in Premium collected by insurance companies has increased by Rs 36,848 crore, while the number of farmers covered has increased only by 0.42%, according to RTI data obtained by The Wire. New Delhi: In January 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a revamped crop insurance scheme, his government’s flagship scheme for farmers, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). It would “bring about a major transformation in the lives of farmers”, Modi...