This is a story of a bunch of gritty women in a small Andhra village who used their traditional resources and knowledge to fight poverty and create a source of livelihoods for others. A group of 34 women, most of them illiterate, at village Pyalayaram, which falls in Deccan region of Zaheerabad mandal in the state of Andhra Pradesh.decided to set up a community grain bank with a little help...

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday singled out resilience of the Indian economy in times of global meltdown as a signature achievement of UPA II's first year in office, and pushed for "new frontiers" in implementing the social inclusion agenda, including food security act and education for all. In a spirit of introspection, Manmohan Singh, however, admitted that soaring prices of basic commodities remained a source of concern and stressed that...

UPA's flagship job guarantee scheme seems to have ensured better wages for women in rural India. An NSSO survey report released earlier this week revealed that disparity in wages between male and female workers in rural India had reduced between 2004-05 when there was no national rural employment guarantee scheme and 2007-08 when the scheme was introduced by UPA-1. In 2007-08, Rural Women working in NREGA areas were getting 54%...

World’s biggest employment guarantee scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREG) has ensured better wages for Rural Women. In a survey report, the National Sample Survey (NSS) organisation has found that disparity in wages between male and female workers in rural India has reduced between 2004-05 — when there was no MGNREG, and 2007-08 — when the scheme was introduced in most parts of rural India. Now, the Rural Women working...

A government survey has showed wide disparity between male and female wage earners in the 15-59 age group both in urban and rural areas. The study conducted by National Sample Survey Office for 2007-08 said that while the average wage rate in rural areas was Rs 175.30 per day for males it was Rs 108.14 for females. Similarly, in urban areas, the average wage rate for males was Rs 276.04 per day...