The International Labour Organisation's Decent Work Research Prize has been awarded to economist Jayati Ghosh and Professor Eve Landau. Dr. Ghosh, who teaches at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, is honoured for her major contributions to the analysis of socio-economic relationships and policy instruments for the advancement of decent work. The prize carries a cash Reward of $5,000. Dr. Ghosh has also been invited to make a presentation at a special ceremony to be...

The face of agriculture in India is changing fast. It needs to become not only sustainable but also profitable for farmers especially the young to stay on the land and cultivate it. The farmers must understand how markets respond to agricultural produce. He should not stop by spending all his life's energy and resources on creating the agricultural produce, but should know how to get good returns for his efforts. This is...

A group of tribal women has declared a “ban” on the sale and consumption of liquor, while warning of imposing a hefty penalty on those defying the “prohibition” in Madhya Pradesh's Talanpur village. Fed up with husbands “who get drunk and beat up their wives, apart from wasting hard-earned money,” the women in the village, about 180 km from here, have come together under the banner of ‘Mahila Samiti,' led by...

Many Indian laws do not reflect modern and enlightened concepts of justice and require major revision. The recent campaign in support of Dr. Binayak Sen has received much publicity. The mainstream media has enunciated his cause and dissected the evidence, conviction and judgment. Amnesty International argued that the case violated international standards for a fair trial. While Dr. Sen's conviction has received much attention, there is a need to foreground the...

It has served as a tool to ease tension in Kandhamal and ethnic conflict among Manipur's tribal groups Officials Rewarded for ingenuity at function celebrating completion of five years of MGNREGS Eight District Magistrates from across India Rewarded for efforts in their respective districts Pepping up the rural economy, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is also a magic wand for reducing tensions and forging social unity and bonding family...