A survey conducted across nine states by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and Allahabad University suggests that the much maligned system has revived, prodded by politics, good governance and the apex court. It also found the poor to be averse to cash transfers Kotri is a mid-sized village in Desuri block (Pali district, Rajasthan), about 15 kilometres away from the nearest large bus stand and market place. We walked to...

Who can forget Munshi Premchand's short story 'Do Bailon Ki Katha' that immortalizes the incredible bond an Indian farmer has with his bullocks? The economics of Indian farming and animal husbandry, however, are ensuring that this bond might live only in such fables. As will the sense of gratitude and pride with which rural India worships its bullocks on the day of Pithori Amavasya, also known as Bail Pola in...

In a blow to the Mayawati government, UP Lokayukta N K Mehrotra on Tuesday recommended dismissal of UP minister for dairy and animal husbandry Awadhpal Singh Yadav after finding him guilty of largescale corruption and misuse of office for extending favour to his kin. This is the state's first case where dismissal has been recommended on charges of corruption by the Lokayukta. "The conduct of Awadhpal Singh Yadav is highly mischievous and not...

-The Hindu   Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia said on Friday that the 12th Five Year Plan, which commences in 2012, would have to contend with a “severe water crisis.” “The water crisis is even more serious than the energy problem,” Dr. Ahluwalia said at a two-day regional consultation meeting of the southern States. Urging for a political consensus on the adoption of the Public Trust Doctrine in the...

Elected five months ago, panchayat members of the state can finally look forward to carrying out development work in their respective areas with the state cabinet approving two sets of rules to guide the rural bodies. Approved last week and set to be notified in the gazette in the next couple of days, the Jharkhand panchayat (mukhiya, upmukhiya, pramukh, uppramukh, zilla parishad chairman, vice-chairman ke shaktiya evam kritya) niyamavali, 2011, and...