If the malnourished in India formed a country, it would be the world's fifth largest — almost the size of Indonesia. According to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), 237.7 million Indians are currently undernourished (up from 224.6 million in 2008). And it is far worse if we use the minimal calorie intake norms accepted officially in India. By those counts (2200 rural/2100 urban), the number of Indians who cannot afford...
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What’s Wrong and Right with Microfinance by David Hulme and Thankom Arun
Recent events in south Asia have led to an unexpected reversal in the narrative of microfinance, long presented as a development success. Despite charges of poor treatment of clients, exaggeration of the impact on the poorest as well as the risks of credit bubbles, the sector can play a non-negligible role in reaching financial services to low-income households. In regulating the sector, there is need for caution in setting interest...
More »NREGA workers are mostly women by Gayathri Sasibhooshan
Kerala has the most number of female national rural employment guarantee act (NREGA) workers in the country, according to the rural development ministry's 2008 assessment. And the projection for the year 2010 showed 95% of NREGA workers in the state would be women. Why more women come for NREGA work is because men in Kerala are not ready to work for Rs 150 a day, the wage that is paid. But...
More »Kudumbashree, National Rural Mission to sign pact for services
-PTI Kerala-based, all-women micro-lender Kudumbashree will soon sign a pact for providing consultancy services to the National Rural Livelihood Mission with the objective of scaling up this flagship programme of the Rural Development Ministry. Under the soon-to-be-inked agreement with the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), a flagship programme of the Rural Development Ministry, Kudumbashree will offer its micro-enterprise consultancy services to the mission. "Kudumbashree will soon be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with...
More »Social audit reveals instances of corruption by Asha P Nair
A ward member in Vilappil panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram was allegedly gifted a gold bangle by the women engaged in National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in her ward. A male member in one of the adjacent wards received gifts ranging from a gold ring to footwear. All as thanksgiving for work offered to the women under NREGS. This is just one of the many shocking revelation s which were revealed in...
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