Human-animal conflict, difficult terrain come in their way Until about two-and-a-half years ago, 10-year-old K. Nagaraj would go to Kovai Courtrallam every day, where he hawked fruits and snacks to tourists. On one such day, officials of the National Child Labour Project found the lad selling titbits and whisked him away to the special centre for rehabilitating child workers at Karunya Nagar, about 30-km west of Coimbatore. Nagaraj who was admitted to class...

Which is more important in human life: money or happiness? Can money buy happiness? According to the tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan, the time has come for the world to pay closer attention to this age-old question. "We are starting a global movement on this issue," Jigme Thinley, the prime minister of Bhutan, told IPS after a high-level meeting on "Happiness and Well-being: Defining a New Economic Paradigm" held at United...

-The Deccan Herald   Diddalli, a hamlet under Channayanakote grama panchayat, lacks even basic infrastructure facilities. The labourers who planted teakwood trees under Neduthopu yojane of the forest department at Devamacchi forest in 1972 were shifted to Nagapura and Channayanakote in 1982. The forest department had alloted two acres of land for the labourers who settle down in the new place. However, Diddalli does not boast of anything that a civilised society can be proud...

-The Deccan Herald   Here drinking water too is a luxury   Diddalli is a small hamlet in Channayanakote Gram Panchayat limits, devoid of basic infrastructure facilities.  The labourers who planted teak wood trees under Neduthopu yojana of the forest department in Devamacchi forest in 1972, were shifted to Nagapura and Channayanakote in 1982. The forest department had earmarked two acre land for the labourers to settle down. However, Diddalli does not boast of anything...

The wages under the government's flagship rural employment scheme have risen following adjustments for price rise, creating apprehension that this may add to the inflationary pressures by making farming more expensive.  The government had early last year benchmarked wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to retail inflation to ensure a real wage of Rs 100 a day to workers seeking employment under the scheme.  Under the first such...