-PTI A parliamentary panel today expressed dissatisfaction over lack of grievance redressal mechanism in a number of states for MGNREGA and pitched for strong monitoring for successful implementation of the flagship rural job scheme. The Standing Committee on Rural Development, chaired by AIADMK MP P Venugopal, in its eighteenth report said, "Slow progress on appointment of ombudsmen speaks volumes about functioning of the department of rural development on the issue. The Committee,...

-GovernanceNow.com A survey in drought-hit Bundelkhand paints a startling picture of farmers in distress Bundelkhand, the land of famous warriors Alha and Udal, is entrapped in an unending battle. But unlike 1857, today there is no ‘harbola’ to tell the stories of sacrifices. Then, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan wrote, “Bundele harbolon ke munh hamne suni kahani thi, khoob ladi mardani voh to Jhansi wali rani thi (from the mouths of storytellers of...

-The Hindu Jaipur: It’s been over a year since minimum qualifications for contesting local body polls were made mandatory in Rajasthan. Though the law did give a chance to the educated youth to replace seasoned local leaders, it has also barred a major section of the rural population from contesting the polls. In December 2014, Rajasthan promulgated the ordinance, which became the Rajasthan panchayati Raj (Second Amendment) Act, 2015 on April 1...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked Reliance Communications to stop the Free Basics service of Facebook, at least for some time. "We have asked them (Reliance Communications) to stop it and they have given us a compliance report that it has been stopped," a senior government official told TOI. Reliance Communications is Facebook's sole telecom partner in India to offer a set of basic...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has strongly criticised the government for its "casual" approach in tackling the problem of infant and child mortality. Taking serious note of the high rate of stunting and wasting among children under five years of age, the Parliamentary Committee on Estimates in its report on 'Malnutrition in Infant and Mother' criticised the ministry of health. "The committee had expressed apprehension regarding achievements of...