-The Hindu Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey speak about the MKSS experience and their campaign for citizen-centric accountability. The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan was founded in Bhim on May 1, 1990 with the aim of organising people at the grassroots. By addressing issues of minimum wage and land and reading out official records, thereby exposing the enormous corruption in the system, it mobilised peasants and workers in rural Rajasthan. A dharna held...
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Killer heat claims 165 more lives in AP, Telangana; toll 500
-The Times of India The scorching summer continued to claim lives in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with as many as 165 more deaths reported on Sunday, even as the soaring mercury broke records in other parts of India. The sunstroke toll in the two states has now touched 500. And, there is likely to be no early respite from the killer heat as India Meteorological Department extended the severe heat wave warning...
More »Foreign Contributions Regulation Act: Old wine in new bottle - Moyna Manku
-Livemint.com FCRA dates back to the Emergency. In its current form, it is the handiwork of the UPA, and the NDA is simply taking up from where the UPA left New Delhi: The recent cancellation of licences of many not-for-profits allowed to receive foreign funds is an exercise started by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in 2010 following a series of public protests against government policies. The Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA)...
More »Farming is not a political game -Jaideep A Prabhu
-The Hindu Given the high investment and negative incentives such as input subsidies, small farmers have not benefited from government schemes. Everything about the suicide of the farmer from Dausa, Gajendra Singh, save the tragedy for his family, has been theatre — the very public venue, the occasion of a political rally, the politicians happily playing their populist cards, and the media’s focus on trivialities. The tragedy is being skilfully milked for...
More »Revamping public procurement -Mukul G Asher, Tarun Sharma & Shahana Sheikh
-The Hindu A properly designed and implemented procurement law is long overdue. It can improve financial management, and bring large financial and governance benefits Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s 2015-16 budget speech signalled the government’s commitment to formally legalise India’s public procurement system as a part of its continuing reforms in public financial management. Following this, the Ministry of Finance is seeking suggestions to refine the Public Procurement Bill of 2012, introduced by...
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