-PTI NEW DELHI: Net-enabled cellphones could soon be provided to 2.5 crore people under the MGNREGA scheme. The ambitious scheme to be launched ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 is aimed at enhancing tele-density in rural areas. According to the proposal, one person per family registered under MGNREGA scheme will be provided with the cellphone for which a recharge of Rs 30 per month will be provided for free for two...

-The Hindu     IPCC report affirms reality of 2o Celsius rise over industrial-age levels The UN Intergovernmental Panel on CLIMate Change concluded on Friday that it is now more certain than ever before that human-caused cLIMate change is real, and greenhouse gas emissions are causing changes to the planet that could possibly trigger dangerous consequences by the turn of the century. These conclusions came as part of the Summary for Policymakers (SPM) on the...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: There is more certainty than ever before that earth is warming under "human influence", said a report compiled by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on CLIMate Change (IPCC), warning that only "substantial and sustained reduction" of greenhouse gas emissions will LIMit the disaster of cLIMate change. IPCC raised the likelihood of human activities causing global warming from "very likely" in its 2007 report to "extremely likely" -...

-PTI NEW DELHI: The Rural Development Ministry has amended a key schedule of the ambitious MNREGA under which they will be guaranteed compensation in case of technical delays in payment of wages. Regretting that delays have been reported from all states despite clear provisions, the Ministry brought out the amendments stipulating that "if the payment is not made within 15 days of closure of the Muster Roll, compensation at the rate of...

-University of Oxford Babies in a rural area of India are less likely to suffer from acute malnutrition where their families are taking part in a job-guarantee programme to provide work with a guaranteed wage, an Oxford University study has found. However, the Indian government programme appears to have no effect on long-term malnutrition. While wages earned through the scheme helped families avoid starvation when seasonal agricultural jobs were in short supply, many...