-IANS Payment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) should be given within 15 days, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday as Congress chief Sonia Gandhi Stressed that the key to the scheme's success was empowering grassroots level organisations.  "In the last six years, we have seen several achievements in the implementation of MNREGA but there are several challenges before us. The biggest worry is that workers get...

-The Indian Express   The West Bengal government announced Tuesday that it had decided to withdraw the trade union rights of its employees. The announcement, made at the secretariat by the labour minister, triggered outrage among state government staff. Minister Purnendu Bose said the government would withdraw a clause in the service rules, introduced by the LF government in 1981, giving full trade union rights to state government staff. Withdrawal of the amendment will...

The Centre's National Food Security Bill could face some hitches, irrespective to which party forms government in Punjab as both the Congress and Akali Dal-BJP have promised to diversify agricultural production by moving towards cash or commercial crops.  The poll promise by political parties to influence Punjab farmer to also grow crops other than wheat and paddy gives further weight to agriculture minister Sharad Pawar's warning that implementation of food security...

-DNA   Can’t think of ways to make schooling a Stress-free affair? Take the cue from the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS). It has come up with a unique method of evaluation under which students can appear for their summative assessments (equivalent to semester examinations) multiple number of times, giving them ample opportunities to better their score with each attempt. KVS officials said they are going to pilot a new form of learning exercises,...

-The Economic Times The charges of embezzlement of funds for the rural employment scheme may be contributing to the political battle between the Congress and the BSP in Uttar Pradesh, but it appears that, in real terms, political wrangling does not have any significant effect on its implementation. According to a study by the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, the UP government's lack of ownership of the programme, along with low...