-TheWire.in Bhatt is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award. New Delhi: Renowned women’s rights activist, Gandhian and founder of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) Ela Bhatt passed away in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. She was 89. “It is with profound grief that we announce the passing away of our beloved and respected founder, Smt. Elaben Bhatt, a pioneer in advocating for women workers’ rights, we strive to carry her...

-The Hindu Allow more flexibility at the ground level, says internal study commissioned by the Ministry of Rural Development An internal study commissioned by the Ministry of Rural Development has argued for decentralisation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), allowing for more “flexibility” at the ground level.  The Ministry recently made public the report of the sixth Common Review Mission which surveyed seven States — Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh,...

-The Hindu Over past 10 days, the Balangir police have prevented 500 workers from migrating to other States KANTABANJI (ODISHA): Juta Majhi was just a few kilometres away from the Kantabanji railway station in Odisha when the Balangir district police intercepted him last week. Mr. Majhi, 38, a resident of Badibahal under the Khaprakhol police station in the district, and his family members were planning to board a train to Karnataka and travel...

-The Telegraph About 20 workers would come to the work site every day, get photographed for attendance carrying basketfuls of soil or digging the earth, and then leave without doing any real work New Delhi: This summer, Gaudsahi village under Kapileswarpur gram panchayat in Odisha’s Puri district began renovating the village pond under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. About 20 workers would come to the work site every day, get...

-Down to Earth The employment scheme worked as a lifeline for rural Indian households during the COVID-19 pandemic Lack of awareness and complexity of application process hold women back from applying for work under the central government’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), according to a recent report. Women beneficiaries struggled to enrol in the scheme, the report suggested. Most of them found enrolling for work a complex and time-consuming process....