Most of the respondents in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala prefer an effective PDS to cash transfer. THE survey of the public distribution system (PDS) in nine States, of which I was a part in Himachal Pradesh (Sirmaur district), Uttar Pradesh (Jaunpur district) and Kerala (Wayanad district), came as an eye-opener to me on many counts. If Himachal Pradesh stood out for the innocence of its people, Uttar Pradesh...
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Too little, too late by Harsh Mander
If we get it right, the Food Security Bill carries the potential to alter the destinies of millions of India's poor and disadvantaged people, by assuring them as a legal right sufficient food to live with dignity. It was approved by the Cabinet after over two years of intense, sometimes fractious debate. Opinion in the Cabinet itself was reportedly divided around the proposed law. Gaping divisions persist, even as the...
More »Bengal’s class bias: don’t blame RTE
-The Telegraph The Right to Education (RTE) Act does not bar any child from outside the “neighbourhood” to participate in the lottery system for admission to schools — contrary to what the Bengal government has been claiming. The enforcement of such a radius rule yesterday had triggered a near-riot in a Malda school that cited a government directive and disallowed applicants who reside beyond 1km from participating in a draw. State governments are...
More »Food Security Bill: Simpler the Better
-EPW The draft Food Bill is in a mess; a simple solution is available to make it an effective legislation. The union cabinet’s inability to clear the National Food Security Bill (NFSB) on 13 December is both a concern and an opportunity. It is a concern because every passing day is a chance lost to bring hunger to an end. It is an opportunity because the Bill is in dire need...
More »FDI low in education, finger at bar on profit by Basant Kumar Mohanty
Foreign direct investment in education has been stuttering in India more than a decade after it was allowed, apparently because education is a not-for-profit sector where surplus revenue has to be ploughed back into expanding the institution. India’s education sector has witnessed significant expansion since the government approved FDI in April 2000, thus providing a huge opportunity for investment. Yet FDI remained zero in the first three years, increased till 2008-09...
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