Rita Sharma, Secretary of India's National Advisory Council (NAC), has been appointed to a new commission on climate change to be chaired by Britain's chief scientific adviser Sir John Beddington. The new Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change, has been set up by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research's Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security program (CCAFS). Sharma is among 13 members of the commission which, in...
More »SEARCH RESULT
Drought effect: Asset creation gathers pace by Devika Banerji
There is a silver lining to the drought that hit India in 2009-10. Although it sapped the country's growth, it led to an almost doubling of physical assets created under the government's flagship rural employment scheme that year. The drought of 2009-10 was the worst that the country had faced in 17 years. As regular jobs in the farm sector dried up, more people sought work under the Mahatma Gandhi National...
More »'Block MGNREGS funds for Sonbhadra, set up probe'
Member, Central Employment Guarantee Council, Sanjay Dixit has asked the Centre to stop release of MGNREGS funds to district Sonbhadra. He also demanded that a probe by a Central agency be set up into the charges of diversion of funds. Talking to mediapersons on Friday, Dixit alleged that "the state government, in a well-calculated move, is trying to cover the corruption trail in Sonbhadra, which is alarming". The funds must be...
More »BKU drops Delhi siege plan after Manmohan's assurance by Gargi Parsai
On the eve of a massive agitation by Tikait Singh-led Bhartiya Kisan Union, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met representatives of the Union and assured them that “farmers interests will be fully protected at all times.” The Prime Minister told the delegation that he would convene a joint meeting with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to have an in-depth discussion on the various issues raised by the BKU...
More »Bihar NREGA ‘outsourcing’ gives UP renewed hope
A recent advertisement by the Bihar government to hand over the implementation of MGNREGA to non-government organisations has attracted the state’s attention. About four months ago, the state was asked by the Centre to withdraw a similar move. The state officials are now studying the tender document made public by the Bihar government for MNREGA and Indira Awas Yojana to counter the objections of the Union Ministry of Rural Development. The ministry...
More »