-The Hindustan Times Underprivileged people of Muktsar district, the home turf of Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, received a lion's share for construction of houses in 2011 in the run-up to the assembly elections, it has emerged. Funds to the tune of over Rs. 40 crore were pumped into Muktsar district alone from the social infrastructure fund (SIF) to help economically weaker sections (EWS) construct or repair their houses, while five districts,...

-The Economic Times MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India has revised the definition of priority sector to include corporates engaged in agriculture and allied activities, and amended the limits for certain categories. In a circular issued to commercial banks on Wednesday, the RBI has clarified that loans to corporates, including companies formed by individual farmers, partnership firms and co-operatives of farmers directly engaged in agriculture and allied activities, will now be considered...

-The Hindustan Times A demand for the money allotted to her under Indira Vikas Yojana cost a mahadalit woman her life in Bihar's Gaya district. The former block pramukh, who had siphoned off the funds, allegedly sprinkled kerosene on Putukwa Devi and set her on fire. Putukwa Devi died in hospital on Sunday. The 35-year-old woman was a member of the poorest of dalits. The category was created by chief minister Nitish...

-The Indian Express Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has proposed to “live fence” graveyards, dargahs and eidgahs under MGNREGA to protect them. In a letter to National Commission for Minorities chief Wajahat Habibullah, who had requested that boundary walls around these places be built under the employment guarantee scheme, Ramesh suggested that they “be provided with live fencing under the Land Development and Plantation works category of MGNREGA for which provisions may...

-The Economic Times Every concerned and right-thinking citizen of this country wants poverty to be reduced as early as possible. Governments and policymakers have given assurances, time and again, that they are making their earnest efforts in that direction. Yet, there is a big debate in the country, ranging from the very definition of poverty to the number of people below the poverty line. Some academic stalwarts have devoted almost their whole...