-The Economic Times Rural Development minister Jairam Ramesh has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh explaining the positive impact of the rural employment guarantee programme on agricultural production. The note is in response to persistent claims by Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar that the rural employment scheme has adversely affected agriculture. Stressing on the positive impact of the UPA's employment programme, Ramesh has suggested that the Prime...

-The Hindu Soni Sori, the tribal accused of acting as a courier between Essar Steel and the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), has been acquitted in a crucial case filed in 2010 by the Dantewada district police against 19 individuals for allegedly opening fire and using explosives to blow vehicles of Essar. Ms Sori was one of the key accused in the case. “But the additional sessions court of Anita Dehariya could not find...

-The Hindu By exempting some projects on forest land from gram sabha consent, the government has undermined the rights of local communities and their crucial role in protecting the environment In early February, the Ministry of Environment and Forests partially revoked a crucial order it had issued in August 2009, which made the consent of gram sabhas mandatory for projects seeking diversion of forest lands for non-forest purposes. Now, the ministry has...

-The Telegraph Jaipur: In this e-age, the pen can still be a potent weapon. The good old writing instrument, mightier than a sword in the hands of the right user, found a band of little champions who recently used it to telling effect. They got education authorities in Rajasthan to appoint a teacher for their school. They didn’t write emails, though laptops are being given to meritorious students to become e-savvy. They just...

-NDTV Union Food Minister KV Thomas and representatives of states met today to discuss the National Food Security Bill and the recommendations of Parliament Standing Committee. "We intend to present the revised bill in Parliament in the budget session, so this is the last opportunity for consultations before finalising the bill," Mr Thomas said at the beginning of the meeting. The bill is one of the most ambitious legislations of the UPA government...