-The Assam Tribune   Impressed with last year’s success in implementation of NREGA in Tripura, the Centre has released Rs 414.44 crore as first instalment in the current fiscal, the highest among the seven north-eastern states, reports PTI. “Tripura has been given Rs 414.44 crore as first instalment of the total outlay of Rs 1149 crore which is highest among the seven north-eastern states,” Tripura Minister for Rural Development, Jitendra Chowdhury told reporters today. Claiming...

What is rural and what is urban is largely an artefact of definition and relative. See the table below. Most of India's 'rural' population resides in villages that contain between 500 and 5,000 inhabitants. Some argue that in other countries, many of these villages would be classified as urban. These studies point out that if India were to be a little more liberal in its definition of urban areas (minimum...

It's early morning in rural Rajasthan and the sun is already burning. Only the brave have ventured out into the harsh, radiating heat. At the dusty Kanpura village, farmers are hard at work, grading their harvest. But the dry, still air is slowing them down. For Jeevan Ram Kharol, selling his produce is the only source of income. Last year, the drought brought him no returns. Now he's hoping the harvest will...

The state government has switched to funding water conservation and harvesting projects through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employee Guarantee Act (MNREGA). In the fiscal 2010-11, water conservation projects guzzled maximum funds released under the MNREGA with the government deciding to channel more than 40 per cent of the total funds into water harvesting, restoration of traditional water baoris and de-silting of water bodies like ponds and lakes. Funds were channelled...

It's that time of the year when Jharkhand celebrates the Sarhul festival. As saal trees sprout new leaves and blossom in leafless forests, tribals troop to the village saran sthal (place to pray)' to worship nature. White and red-striped flags flutter along a cratered road snaking through Latehar's hilly terrain, from Rajdanda to Barahi. Construction of this road in Latehar's Mahuadanr block, around 120km from Ranchi, began last year. After villagers...