-Live Mint The project is part of the country’s ambitious cash-transfer plan for selected welfare programmes Bangalore: Karnataka will start transferring cash directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries of India’s rural job guarantee scheme on a pilot basis in seven districts later this year, the state government said. This is part of the country’s ambitious cash-transfer plan for selected welfare programmes that the central government wants to eventually adopt across the...

-The Times of India BHUBANESWAR: Villagers of Pathpani, where Maoists killed a Sikhya Sahayak three days ago, have appealed to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Nuapada SP and collector to relocate them at some other village. Maoists had killed Dunguripali primary school teacher Chaitanya Majhi (32), accusing him of being a police informer, and thrown his body in Pathpani forest. After the incident about 250 villagers deserted the village fearing more attacks by...

-PTI Pulling up the Maharashtra government for low conviction rate in atrocity cases against Dalits, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes on Tuesday asked the State to expedite trials and probe in such cases. “1,200 cases of atrocities against scheduled castes are reported each year in Maharashtra. Out of them, 500 cases are pending. There should be exclusive and fast-track courts under which priority should be to atrocity cases,” Commission’s Chairman Dr....

-The Times of India HYDERABAD: The controversial appointments of four information commissioners is one of the many topics that will be discussed at the upcoming national RTI (Right to Information) convention scheduled to be held in the city this week. Themed 'Transparency to accountability', the convention will be attended by 400 RTIactivists from across the country, who will be discussing an array of issues affecting the Act. The convention is being...

-Live Mint Food minister K.V. Thomas is holding day-long discussions with state food ministers and officials in the national Capital in a bid to overcome their objections and push forward the government’s ambitious food security legislation.   The government will present the revised food security Bill in the Budget session of Parliament beginning 21 February, he said in his opening remarks. “We intend to present the revised Bill in Parliament in the forthcoming Budget...