The Ministry received 153 complaints of irregularities in the implementation of MGNREGA up to 2007-08; 645 complaints in 2008-09; 528 complaints in 2009-10 and 272 complaints in 2010-11 so far. With a view to make the scheme more accountable, the following steps have been taken by the Ministry:(i) States have been asked to deploy adequate number of dedicated staff with the implementing authorities. Administrative expenses, out of which salary of such...

Media is business, journalism is not. With these stinging words, developmental journalist and Magsaysay Award winner for journalism P Sainath grabbed the attention of the 250 media students attending Mumbai's Sophia Polytechnic's annual lecture, 'Catalyst for Change', on Thursday. The topic was 'Paid News', on which there cannot be a more well-informed speaker than Sainath who has consistently highlighted the menace in his writings. Sainath said since 2008, some 3000 journalists...

Global agriculture contributes in the region of 17 percent to the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, but according to the World Bank, climate smart agriculture techniques can both reduce emissions and meet the challenge of producing enough food for a growing world population."As much as agriculture is part of the problem, it is also part of the solution," said Inger Anderson, the World Bank's vice president on sustainable...

Delhi's private schools had complained that they were reeling under the burden of having to pay teachers higher salaries recommended by the 6th Pay Commission. A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), however, said they used the Pay Commission as an alibi to fatten themselves. In a damning indictment, the auditor held that 25 elite private schools passed on the burden of implementing the recommendations of the 6th Pay...

Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mallikarjun Kharge said the major challenge facing India today was that of the unorganised sector. He was speaking at the second World Social Security Summit organised by the International Social Security Association in Capetown, South Africa, on Friday. Mr. Kharge is heading a six-member high-level delegation from India, which held discussions with several Labour Ministers of the nearly 120 countries participating in the meet. Mr. Kharge...