-The Economic Times   The government has amended its landmark Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to ensure that beneficiaries receive wage entitlements under the Act within 15 days through institutionalised channels, like banks and post offices. The amendment to Schedule II of the MGNREGA now makes it mandatory under the law for state governments to ensure that every beneficiary has a bank or post office account and the disbursements...

-The Times of India   It was not just private sector firms that made a killing out of the Commonwealth Games held last year. In a clear sign of how even public sector units viewed the Games as a windfall, the Comptroller and Auditor General has found that Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) made huge profits out of its contract for Integrated Security System (ISS) for the Games. Given on a "nomination...

-The Economic Times   The latest forecast of the Met office suggesting a weakening of the south-west monsoon during the second half of the monsoon season is not cause for panic. It is the distribution of rainfall across space and time rather than the aggregate percentages that matter for the farm sector. The good news is that both the spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall has been satisfactory so far. A good reservoir...

-Live Mint   Finally, a serious roadblock in the country’s march to industrialization may be removed soon. The Union ministry of rural development has unveiled a draft National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Bill. Once a law, LARR could potentially end arbitrary land acquisitions under the Land Acquisition Act of 1894. Any well-functioning market gives clear signals and prices are market-driven. The 1894 law with its ill-defined “public purpose” clause...

-The Times of India   The Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010 were supposed to celebrate sport while showcasing the capital city of a rising nation. But the mega-event's legacy isn't shining. As investigations into the organising of the Games continue, the corruption taint is spreading. In a performance audit report, the Comptroller and Auditor General indicts the Sheila Dikshit-led Delhi government for serious lapses and irregularities in the procurement of Games-related items. The...