-DNA Prominent RTI activists on Tuesday said violence on users, court stay on prominent decisions of the information commission, rulings that limit the scope of RTI and threats from the government through legislations were major challenges facing the Act. Aruna Roy, member of National Advisory Council (NAC), Shailesh Gandhi, former central information commissioner, Nikhil Dey, member of National Council for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI), Shankar Singh, member of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti...
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The poorest shun MGNREGA-Jitendra
-Down to Earth Participation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes in the scheme has halved in five years The Centre’s flagship rural employment guarantee scheme seems to be losing appeal for its target groups. An analysis of the monitoring report of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) by Down To Earth (DTE) shows participation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the scheme has more than halved in last...
More »Govt to test cash transfer waters for food-Basant Kumar Mohanty
-The Telegraph The Centre is poised to launch a pilot project to study the delivery of food subsidy through direct cash transfer, a proposed system that civil society groups feel will end up inconveniencing the poor beneficiaries. The food and consumer affairs ministry will start the pilot scheme in the six Union territories next month, a top government source told The Telegraph. Now, households buy food grains at subsidised rates (called the “central...
More »Inside the Direct Cash Transfer Debate-Udit Misra
-Forbes India A look at the crucial issues involved Over the past three years, India has vigorously debated the merits of having a Unique Identity (UID) number for each citizen and, allied with it, the move towards direct cash transfers (DCT) of subsidies (like food, fuel and fertilizer) and social security endowments, like pensions and scholarships. On January 1, India took its first steps towards UID-enabled direct cash transfers. But the move has...
More »Government panel to set poverty mark for rural schemes
-The Times of India The Centre has set up an expert committee to determine the poverty mark to identify beneficiaries of rural development ministry's programmes. The committee, to be headed by Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen, will examine the figures of the socio-economic caste survey to decide who is below the poverty line in terms of deserving the rural welfare schemes focused on poor like Indira Awas Yojana, old-age pension and national...
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