Union minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh today frowned upon the state government and demanded greater reliability on the question of funds use after enduring a bumpy ride to a Dumka village, which to his surprise lacked road connectivity. Ramesh, who arrived in Dumka from Calcutta this morning, met self-help groups (SHGs) engaged in tussar silk production at Dhaka village, 30km from the district headquarters, in rebel-hit Shikaripara block. The minister appreciated...

Rural secondary school students in the Northeast have better reading and arithmetic skills than the rest of the nation, an education survey has revealed, though the numerical knowledge in some states of the region is below the national average. The survey was conducted by volunteers of the Annual Status of Education Report under a Delhi-based NGO, Pratham, for the Union human resource development ministry. Among the Northeast states, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland,...

In what could be perceived as a disturbing trend, vaccination in rural Bihar has been adversely affected due to casteism. According to the recent survey report, which was prepared after an on-the-spot study in 14 villages of Bihar’s nine districts, several instances of “caste discrimination” have came to fore. For instance, such was the social divide in a Rohtas village that vaccinations could not take place either in Brahmin’s tola (colony) or...

-The Times of India THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Bankfor Agriculture and rural development (NABARD) has unveiled an ambitious Rs 5,320 crore plan for various development activities in the state this year. The bank has allocated Rs 2,075 crore for short-term agriculture activities which can go up to Rs 2,600 crore depending on the successful operations of the co-operative banks in the state. "For long -term investment in rural sector, NABARD has committed to provide...

-The Times of India Ramgarh: A team of officials from Union ministry of rural development visited the Maoist-hit villages of Mandu block on Friday and expressed satisfaction over implementation of schemes under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in remote villages of the district. The central team headed by rural development ministry joint director N Murugnanam along with state MGNREGA commissioner Satish Kumar and Ramgarh DC visited Burhakhap, Ambatand...