Here is a new set of official statistics that can escalate the politically contentious debate on what constitutes the poverty line. If the average monthly consumption expenditure is taken as the benchmark of what an individual needs to survive, the poverty linewould be Rs 66.10 for urban areas and Rs 35.10 for rural regions, while about 65% of the population will be below this cutoff. The figures, based on the 66th round...
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Mid-day meals: Centre asks States to adopt A.P. fund model by Aarti Dhar
With some States defaulting on payment of their share of funds for providing meals to children in government schools, adversely affecting the implementation of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, the Centre has now asked all States to consider adopting Andhra Pradesh's model ‘Green Channel Scheme.' The A.P. model makes funds available throughout the year. “All States and Union Territories may take the lead from Andhra Pradesh and streamline the release of funds,”...
More »RTE: Confusion over SMC selection
-DNA The formation of School Management Committee (SMC) in the primary schools under the Right to Education Act (RTE) is a good idea but lack of any guidance for selection of the members of the committee has raised curiosity among educationists. Such committees are to be formed in 34,000 schools. Educationists working in the field of RTE believe that school authorities include poorly educated parents in the SMC that might not serve...
More »MEA said no to 39 trips by 25 Union ministers-Shyamlal Yadav
Even as 2011-12 saw Union ministers going on an unprecedented number of foreign trips, the MEA has refused clearance on several grounds for at least 39 proposed trips by 25 Union ministers since June 2009. Some of them are no longer ministers. All these trips, barring one, fell in the official category. The ministers had proposed to travel to destinations such as the US, UK, France, Italy, Japan, Australia and South Africa,...
More »ILO warns of new global jobs crisis, says 50 million jobs lost during crisis still missing
-IANS The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Monday warned of the emergence of a global jobs crisis, noting that around 50 million jobs that were lost during the financial crisis are still missing today. Despite signs that economic growth has resumed in some regions, the global employment situation is alarming and shows no sign of recovery in the near future, the ILO said in a report entitled "World of Work Report 2012: Better...
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