-The Business Standard Spending, workdays generated show falling trend in many states, Centre says reasons unclear The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme ( NREGS) has completed seven years since its launch. And, the number of people it provides jobs to has fallen, as has the number of workdays it has been able to provide. Analysts say this is due to a shortage of funds, especially in the less performing states. The scheme,...

-Outlook Caste has nothing to do with graft. Even so, Nandy must be heard. Forging a link, however tenuous, between caste and corruption is akin to saying  that the average Indian male  has sex on his mind, caste and communalism in his heart and indigestion in his tummy. That was an irreverent response to the sweeping statement made by the “ageing enfant terrible” of Indian sociology, Ashis Nandy, during a discussion...

-First Post Here’s the real reason why sociologist Ashis Nandy should be in the dock of public criticism. There is almost no evidence whatsoever to substantiate his observation that the backward classes and Dalits are seen as more corrupt because they are less good at hiding it than their upper class compatriots. Nandy is facing police investigations for saying at the Jaipur Literary Festival (JLF) last week that “most of the corrupt...

-The Hindustan Times In a recent order, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by the Karnataka information commissioner as “frivolous”. It also went on to impose costs of  Rs. 1 lakh.  A closer analysis proves that this case has far reaching implications for the fundamental rights of a citizen, rights that have been codified in the Right to Information Act. The particulars are as follows. A Right to Information (RTI) applicant...

-PTI There was sharp rise in purchase of cereals, sugar and kerosene from Public Distribution System (PDS) between 2004-05 and 2009-10, a government survey said. According to National Sample Survey Organisation's 66th round, the percentage of households reporting consumption of rice from PDS rose sharply from 24.4 percent to 39 percent in rural areas. The percentage of such families consuming rice increased from 13 percent to 20.5 percent during the period. The increase...