As minister for rural development, Jairam Ramesh oversees the largest spending in the social sector by the government. This includes the marquee Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) that was pioneered by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance in 2006. The minister, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is known for his forthrightness. In a typically candid interview to Mint on...

The Gujarat Congress Legislature Party has launched a scathing attack on R.K. Raghavan, chairman of the Supreme Court–appointed Special Investigation Team, probing some of the gruesome 2002 Gujarat communal riot massacres. The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Shaktisinh Gohil, said his party took strong exception to the style of functioning of Mr. Raghavan, who he alleged “blatantly tried to protect Mr. Modi and other accused.” The CLP meeting was held...

-IBNS Leading public schools in Delhi are likely to earn a revenue of over Rs. 15,000 crore only through sale of nursery admission forms this year as against nearly 10,000 crore in previous year, according to a recent analysis by apex industry body ASSOCHAM. Besides, parents will have to embark to nearly 30 schools and might end up spending over Rs.20,000/- for nursery admission of their kids this year, according to a...

-The Economic Times   The IMF wants to increase its lending capacity by $1 trillion, to rescue distressed countries in the eurozone plus those hit by aftershocks from the eurozone.  But US is struggling with fiscal problems of its own, Japan now has the highest debt/GDP ratio in the world (over 200%), and Europe is moving into an austerity phase. Clearly, a significant chunk of the new trillion will have to come from...

-The Business Standard   Its guarantee of non-duplication can have far-reaching cost benefits but it has deep design flaws that can be compromised. PRAVEEN CHAKRAVARTY Former Volunteer, Financial Inclusion, UIDAI* “Aadhaar is an unadulterated identity programme that answers the question: Is the individual who he or she claims to be?”   The word “unique”, and not “identity”, is central to the unique identity programme or Aadhaar. It may be true that the vast majority of people possess some...