-Down to Earth   Ministry of panchayati raj plans to develop model panchayats in different states through integrated development President Pranab Mukherjee's address to parliamentarians on Monday and the brain-storming sessions carried out by the new prime minister, Narendra Modi, with officials of different ministries indicate changes in the way rural development schemes will be implemented in the country. Each department in the rural development ministry has organised workshops with states to evolve the...

Inclusive Media for Change invites applications from journalists in English and Hindi for Inclusive Media - UNDP Fellowships 2014. The Fellowships are given to increase and sharpen media coverage of rural distress/ development and the issues of the marginalized people. The fellowships are aimed at promoting democratic social change, particularly through empowerment, participation and good governance. The ideal candidates would be willing to take time off from routine journalism and spend...

-Down to Earth   Most severely and consistently excluded groups are women, Adivasis, Muslims and the disabled, report confirms A recent report by a Delhi NGO undermines government claims on reaching welfare schemes to the needy and disadvantaged sections of society. The report, titled The India Exclusion Report 2013-14, says the government has failed miserably in providing equal access to public goods to the most disadvantaged groups. The report, prepared by Delhi-based Centre for...

-Down to Earth   Study by National Institute of Disaster Management shows authorities neglected to break the cycle of droughts when rains were plentiful Drought in Bundelkhand region of central India has been a matter of concern for decades. A new study by National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) now gives a composite map of the drought which explains the reason for the region witnessing drought year on year. The study shows that droughts...

-Outlook     Bhubaneswar: Advocating zero displacement and zero harm to environment while setting up projects, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram today said he would present his views on the proposed iron ore mining at Khandadhar hill in Odisha's Sundargarh district to the Centre. "My stand on mining in Khandadhar remains unchanged... I am against any project that can harm natural environment or cause displacement of people," Oram told reporters here during a...