The key to the United Progressive Alliance’s return to power in 2009 lay in its promise of “inclusive growth” centred on the aam aadmi. On top of the launching of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), this gave the UPA immeasurably greater appeal and legitIMAcy than its rivals. But it also entailed obligations to implement other rights-based programmes, on food security, education and healthcare, among others. The National...
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Post office is out of bounds to us, say Dalits by Anisha Sheth
It is located in a separate building on the residential premises of the postmaster Dalits forced to transact from outside ‘If we try to enter the post office, they block the door' Seventy five-year-old Bailu has never set foot in the post office in her village in Betlhangady taluk for fear of being thrown out. Dalits of Melanthabettu village, located about 6 km from Belthangady, say they are denied entry into the post...
More »Politicians most corrupt in India: Poll
The CNN-IBN-Outlook State of the Nation poll on corruption in the run up to Republic Day does nor bring good news for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government. The poll has found Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to have been rather weak in his tackling of the numerous scams and corruption cases that the UPA -II has been facing. The corruption-hit UPA is facing an IMAge crisis and 57 per cent say they...
More »Food crisis depicts marginalisation of the poor by Vikram Doctor
Everyone agrees that there is a food crisis. As ordinary members of the public we know there’s one every time we go out shopping for vegetables. My mother knows there’s a crisis because, after recently sacking her cook, she discovered the lady had left with all the onions in the house. The media agrees there’s one, and sends more TV crews to talk to onion farmers, even though the TV reporters...
More »IMA opposes Rural Health course
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has described as “unfortunate” the endorsement of the Union Government's decision to start a Bachelor of Rural Health course at the meeting of State Health Ministers in Hyderabad on January 12-13. Calling it a retrograde step, the IMA members said they will strongly oppose the move to produce half-baked doctors for the rural population. Association national president Vinay Aggarwal said: “This group of doctors, according to the...
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