-The Hindu Hemant Soren's letter to the PM in this regard comes a week after his Tripura counterpart held a rally in New Delhi against funds cuts in the scheme. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an appeal "to ensure that the provisions of MNREGA are not diluted in any manner." Mr. Soren's letter to the PM comes a week after Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar...

-Down to Earth Health experts blame Centre's over-emphasis on women's sterilisation for the Chhattisgarh tragedy THERE WAS nothing right about the sterilisation camp held on November 8 in Chhattisgarh's Takhatpur block of Bilaspur district. An overambitious government doctor-with unsterilised equipment and virtually no manpower-set out to conduct laparoscopic tubectomy on 83 women in an abandoned private hospital. The mass sterilisation LED to the death of 13 women and left others critically ill. They were...

-The Indian Express The recent proposal by the National Commission for Women to legalise prostitution has opened up an old debate. It is a misnomer that legalisation would lead to improving the lives of women in prostitution by way of reduced harassment by the police and provision of healthcare facilities. Advocates of legalisation should first examine the experience of countries where prostitution has been legalised. The mere fact that licensing has...

-Economic and Political Weekly   The runaway growth in states of subsidised solar pumps, which provide quality energy at near-zero marginal cost, can pose a bigger threat of groundwater over-exploitation than free power has done so far. The best way to meet this threat is by paying farmers to "grow" solar power as a remunerative cash crop. Doing so can reduce pressure on aquifers, cut the subsidy burden on electricity companies, reduce...

-The Indian Express Sixty-four years after caste untouchability was abolished by the Constitution, more than a fourth of Indians say they continue to practise it in some form in their homes, the biggest ever survey of its kind has reveaLED. Those who admit to practising untouchability belong to virtually every religious and caste group, including Muslims, ScheduLED Castes and ScheduLED Tribes. Going by respondents' admissions, untouchability is the most widespread among Brahmins, followed...