-The Times of India Jagdish Bhagwati and Arvind Panagariya, hereafter BP, have argued for phasing out the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in favour of cash transfers ("Rural Inefficiency Act", ToI, 23 October). It's surprising-and amusing-that two eminent economists have chosen to make a case based on prior beliefs and some sophomoric wordplay ('mis'leading economists), rather than on the available evidence. A survey by one of us of the empirical literature...

-Outlook India has the potential to lead the world in creating just and equitable societies, the head of UN's women empowerment body has emphasised and said men and boys can play an important role in achieving gender equality. "We need India in the leadership in changing status of women. For me it is very important that India leads in the kinds of changes that you want to see see 20 years after...

-The Hindu Reports that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government intends to radically restructure the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) have re-ignited public discussion on the scheme. Since its launch, debate on MGNREGA has been synonymous with ideological contestations on the role of the state and its welfare functions. Inevitably, the contours of the debate have been shrill, leaving little space for an evidence-based discussion on the...

-The Hindu SADASHIVAPET (MEDAK DISTRICT, Telengana): DRDA teams up with Digital Green, an organisation supporting technology, to spread the word on innovative practices being followed by farmers. As the project is supported by battery and video can be played even on a wall, farmers are viewing these videos even in late hours. What can be done with a hand-held projector? Spreading new and innovative systems in farming with semi-literate and illiterate persons...

-The Hindu Over 40 groups wrote to the Prime Minister and the Union Minister of State for Environment, on Tuesday, expressing concern over "consistent efforts of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to bring out resolutions and executive orders in violation of the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 (or the Forest Rights Act (FRA))". In separate letters to the Prime Minister...