In a major bid to overhaul governance in areas vulnerable to Left Wing Extremism, the government is all set to launch a Centrally-sponsored scheme for nearly 300 blocks across seven states. The scheme, christened as Central India Tribal Plan, would be implemented from the next year and executed by hand-picked officers with an impeccable career profile under the direct monitoring of the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) to be set up...

On the first anniversary of the farmer-police clash that had claimed four lives last year, farmers of Tappal in Aligarh — who gathered in Jikarpur village on Sunday to observe ‘martyrs’ day’ — demanded that the government honour its commitments, including return of land to farmers who had refused to sell it, within 20 days. They demanded the construction of a memorial near the bridge where the firing took place on...

-The Business Standard   Worried over allegations of corruption in many government programmes, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has requested the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to audit all the schemes under his ministry. Ramesh met Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the state secretariat today, the last day of his three-day visit to the state. “To maintain transparency, I have requested the CAG to engage special Auditor Generals in each state to...

The $12 billion Posco investment in India was supposed to be the biggest FDI project in the country. After six years that still remains on paper Horangineun jugeumyeon gajugeul namgigo, Sarameun jugeumyun ireumeul namginda (When tigers die, they leave behind leather. When people die, they leave their names behind) —Old Korean Proverb The news flash from Press Trust of India came on July 10, 2011. Posco, the $32 billion South Korean steel giant had decided to...

Poor, pregnant with third child? Even the state’s giving up on you. Why Less For More     * The ministry of health and family welfare wants to target poor, pregnant women with more than two children, take away entitlements and benefits     * Critics say the two-child norm will severely restrict the number of beneficiaries of the Janani Suraksha Yojana scheme. The scheme, launched in 2005, has been a great success.     *...