Government has redefined what constitutes poverty A nationwide survey that will simultaneously map the economic, caste and religious backgrounds of the entire population was approved by the Union CABinet on Thursday. The survey marks two firsts: firstly, in a break with past practice, the Below Poverty Line (BPL) Census has been widened to include urban areas; earlier, it was restricted to rural India. Secondly, the caste headcount, which will be conducted simultaneously...

-PTI   In her first major policy decision, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced that her government would return 400 acres from the abandoned Tata Motors plant at Singur to farmers who unwillingly parted with their land. "The first decision taken in the CABinet is return of 400 acres from the abandoned Tata Motors plant in Singur. If the Tatas are willing, they can set up the factory on...

Census will be based on automatic exclusion and inclusion criteria The Below the Poverty Line (BPL) census, approved by the Union CABinet on Thursday, will be an exercise in identifying households that will fit the bill within the poverty cap of 46 per cent of the rural population of India. The identification of the 46 per cent poverty cap, estimated by the Planning Commission, will be done through a set of automatic...

The Union CABinet, which meets here on Thursday, will discuss a proposal to dovetail the promised caste census with the survey to identify those living below the poverty line (BPL), government sources told The Hindu. The entire exercise should be completed by the end of this year, these sources added. Dovetailing the two exercises will ensure that the castes enumerated can be correlated with the socio-economic data, and facilitate a more...

Set to include them in BPL segment In a step which can have a major bearing on Dalit politics in the country and challenge Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s undisputed hold over her caste people, the Centre is likely to carve out a special Mahadalit category and include them in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) segment. The proposal is expected to come up for discussion before the Union CABinet on...