The performance of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, which will form the core of the Right to Education Act, has been satisfactory in terms of ainfrastructure though a lot needs to be done as far as quality improvement — teachers’ appointment, their in-service training etc — is concerned. In what could further boost the flagship programme, sources said, the Finance Commission has made a provision of more than Rs 20,000 crore for...

The government’s expectation of the rabi wheat crop making good the shortfall in drought-affected kharif season received a set-back with a lower acreage in wheat, coarse cereals and oilseeds this season. Sowing of pulses, however, is 6.2 per cent higher than last year in the corresponding period. The sowing period ends around January 15. The sowing of rabi wheat, coarse cereals and oilseeds has fallen behind last year and this does not...

Several recent reports put India at the bottom when it comes to gender equality. It is time for a clearly-spelt new policy on women and development. SHAILAJA CHANDRA  “By and large the attitude of a man towards his wife is possibly worse than his attitude towards his buffalo.”--Colin Gonzalves, Human Rights Lawyer The World Economic Forum, in a report titled the Global Gender Gap 2009, has quantified the magnitude of gender-based...

It is indeed heartening to note that most states have been growing remarkably fast, going by the Central Statistical Organisation’s (CSO) current data on the economic growth of states over the last decade. Even chronically poor states such as Orissa, Bihar, Rajasthan and, more anaemically, Uttar Pradesh have participated in the boom, sending out a clear message that no state can be written off. One can argue that GDP alone...

Rural service bonds for students and pre-PG mandatory qualification have helped Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan have created a special cadre with financial, non-financial incentives Acknowledging the difference the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has made to the health care system, the third Common Review Mission (CRM) says many States have come up with innovations for attracting and retaining professionals in public service in rural and remote areas. While most States focus on financial incentives,...