Ms. Bhatt has helped poor women attain dignity and independence “Investing in women is one of the most powerful ways to fight poverty” Ela Bhatt, founder of the Self-Employed Women's Association, was presented with the first Global Fairness Initiative Award by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “for her contribution to India and particularly the women of India, and to the global community.” Speaking at the awards ceremony held at the Kennedy...

Justice Soumitra Sen may be making history as only the second judge on his way to impeachment but he still enjoys a big salary. Despite being indicted many times for corruption, the judge has comfortably managed to exploit the loopholes in the system. Excluding allowances and perks for fuel, attendants, house rent, phone and medical bills, Justice Sen's salary today stands at Rs. 80,000 per month. That means roughly Rs. 160,000...

Bottlenecks at every stage in the implementation of MGNREGA in Atra village in Chhattisgarh are making the villagers disillusioned. “If payment is unreliable, the poorest and the most vulnerable opt out of the system...” On a rainy day in September, Bir Singh Malekar, 45, rues his decision to stay back in Atra village in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district this summer, instead of leaving in search of work. “I usually go to Chennai between...

The Udyog Maidan near Statue Circle was witness to a different kind of Diwali celebrations' on Thursday. At the centre were two huge puppets carrying posters demanding minimum wages for NREGA workers while another one called for celebrating a black diwali. The protest got louder at the background where NREGA workers from various parts of the district help up posters on the issue. "It has been a unanimous decision from our side...

Bina Agarwal , director and professor of economics, Institute of Economic Growth, has written a pioneering new book, Gender and Green Governance, that explores a central question: If women had adequate representation in forestry institutions, would it make a difference to them, their communities and forests as a national resource? Pamela Philipose spoke to Agarwal: Why has access to forests been such a conflict-ridden issue? This is not surprising. Forests constitute not...