-Business Standard Intervention by Gadkari and Javadekar helped Maharashtra govt take control of forests back from tribals Setting a precedent for the entire country, the Union tribal affairs ministry has revised its views to re-interpret the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and allow the Maharashtra forest department to get control back over forest management and a grip on the lucrative trade worth crores in forest produce such as tendu leaves and bamboo. The...

-The Indian Express The seeming revival over the last two quarters reverses the trend of declining employment under MGNREGA seen during the first year of the Modi government. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the flagship welfare programme of the previous UPA government, appears to be staging a revival of sorts. And this turnaround is being attributed mainly to better monitoring by the Centre and timely release of funds. The July-September...

-The Hindu People of the region are not used to eating the new mixture KALABURAGI (Karnataka): The Karnataka Rajya Anganwadi Noukarara Sangha has demanded that the State government roll back its decision to change nutrient food mixture provided to inmates of anganwadis and to pregnant women in villages and resume providing local nutrient food mixture as earlier to overcome the problem of under nourishment of children and pregnant women. District president of sangha...

-The New Indian Express BHAWANIPATNA:  Hundreds of Dongria Kondhs of Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district resolved not to accept PDS rice at a meeting at Parsali under Kalyansinghpur block of Rayagada district on Saturday. The Dongria Kondhs of Lanjigarh, who attended a meeting chaired by convenor of Niyamgiri Surakhya Manch Lada Sikoka at Rayagada, refused to the accept rice under National Food Security Act (NFSA). The meeting was also attended by senior members Dadhi...

-The Times of India NAVI MUMBAI: Borze, a tiny village in the water-starved Pen taluka of Raigad district, stopped waiting for the state government and their local politician of various hues to give them the much-needed clean water. Instead, the villagers recently tied up with a private company to set up an innovative "water ATM" that locals refer to as "ATW," or any time water. This is the first time in the...