-The Hindu Rs. 8,000-Rs. 10,000 crore to be spent, says Gadkari. Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari said the government will spend ?8,000 to ?10,000 crore this year to ensure that at least 70% of the Ganga will be clean by next May. The government has only spent ?4,500 crore since 2015 when the ?20,000-crore tranche for cleaning the 2,500-km long river was operationalised. “This year we have sent a note [to the Finance...

-Newsclick.in Around two lakh farmers will court arrest on May 14, which is the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Various farmer organisations, under the banner of Shetkari Sanghatana Sukanu Samiti, have called for a ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ on May 14, across the state of Maharashtra. The court arrest, by over two lakh farmers, is slated to take place on the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. They will be protesting against...

-The Hindu Telangana’s experience is instructive The institutionalisation of “social audits” to ensure implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) has been challenging. Since being included in the 2005 Act at the behest of social movements, social audits have been ineffective in most parts of the country due to government indifference. So far, 26 States have created social audit units (SAUs), but the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG’s) detailed guidelines...

-The Hindu Two non-profit enterprises offer reusable cloth pads as a sustainable alternative to synthetic branded products Tiruchi: Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) is a hot topic these days. Whether in the form of stylishly advertised disposable sanitary products that vie with shampoos and vehicles for prime time viewership, or films on innovators who have created low-cost napkins, the taboo around the subject in India seems to be slowly disappearing — the operative...

-TheWire.in If Trump carries out his threat of pulling the US out of the deal and re-imposes sanctions on the Persian Gulf country, oil prices could start soaring, hitting India and other major crude importers hard. New Delhi: The global oil market is waiting with bated breath for US President Donald Trump’s next move on the Iran nuclear deal, expected to be announced on Tuesday, four days ahead of the May 12...