As minister for rural development, Jairam Ramesh oversees the largest spending in the social sector by the government. This includes the marquee Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) that was pioneered by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance in 2006. The minister, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is known for his forthrightness. In a typically candid interview to Mint on...

-The Business Standard   Its guarantee of non-duplication can have far-reaching cost benefits but it has deep design flaws that can be compromised. PRAVEEN CHAKRAVARTY Former Volunteer, Financial Inclusion, UIDAI* “Aadhaar is an unadulterated identity programme that answers the question: Is the individual who he or she claims to be?”   The word “unique”, and not “identity”, is central to the unique identity programme or Aadhaar. It may be true that the vast majority of people possess some...

-Press Information Bureau   The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing Central Sector, Centrally Sponsored and Special Area Programme for the integrated socio-economic development of all  Scheduled Tribes in the country. These schemes/programmes are meant for welfare of  the tribal people, including those living in Maoist affected areas.  A list of  majorschemes/programmes of the Ministry is Annexed. The Integrated Action Plan (IAP) was approved on 25.11.2010 for 60 selected tribal and backward...

The Bihar directorate of economics and statistics (DES), a subsidiary wing of the state's planning and development department (PDD), is mulling over using the 'kinnar' community (eunuchs) as informants for timely feedback on birth of new children in families of any locality, so that their registration could be done within the stipulated time. The efficacy of eunuchs as effective informants was discussed at a state-level workshop on "Civil registration system" held...

-PTI   Government said a large number of complaints relating to implementation of its flagship MGNREGA scheme, including 61 cases related to underpayment of wages, have been received from all over the country.  Minister of State in the Rural Development Ministry Pradeep Jain 'Aditya' told Lok Sabha that 24 of the 61 complaints pertaining to under-payment of wages emanated from Uttar Pradesh alone.  The data showed that 14 such complaints were received from Rajasthan...