-Outlook Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today said there was a need to have parity of wage under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and the Minimum Wages Act. He said, in 14 states including Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Rajasthan, the wage under the rural job scheme was lower than the rate stipulated under the Minimum Wages Act. Speaking at an event to mark the 9th MNREGA Divas...

-Down to Earth UPA gives sops under MGNREGS to attract rural voters ahead of elections WITH most of its recent schemes struggling, a desperate UPA government is pinning its hopes on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to win votes in 2014 elections. The government is overhauling the employment scheme that helped it return to power in 2009 for a reason. It touches the lives of over 55 per cent...

-Outlook Gurgaon: Bihar Migrant Resource Centre (BMRC), which seeks to address the needs of migrants in the city, was today inaugurated by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Kumar, who launched it via video-conferencing, asked the state's resident commissioner to promote the initiatives of the centre, which is aimed at reducing the "vulnerability" migrants face and making their stay more rewarding. The centre is an initiative of an independent society, JEEVIKA, which has been...

-Down to Earth Cap on subsidised cylinders raised to 12 per year In a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre decided to suspend its ambitious project of Transferring subsidy on LPG cylinders directly into the accounts of consumers. To avail the subsidy, all consumers were required to get their Aadhaar or unique identification number linked to their LPG consumer number and bank accounts. Besides, the Centre has...

-The Indian Express K V Thomas set the tone of the debate, citing the difficulties being faced by consumers in his constituency Ernakulam. While the cabinet acceded to Rahul Gandhi's wish and increased the annual cap for subsidised gas cylinders from nine to 12, the meeting on Thursday saw a heated debate between ministers on the linkage of LPG subsidies to Aadhaar and bank accounts so much so that an exasperated...