Activists also opposed to use of JCB machines Hundreds of protesting villagers march towards the Chief Minister’s residence The Gehlot government’s honeymoon with activist groups seems to be nearing its end with their growing frustration over the lackadaisical approach of authorities to the transparency clause in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). Though among the best in the country in the implementation of the scheme, Rajasthan has seemingly gone back...

It has been a bumpy ride, with developed countries failing to make definite commitments and India hinting at a shift of stance. THE last leg of the climate change talks held in Barcelona, Spain, on November 2-6 in the run-up to the all-important 15th Conference of the Parties (COP-15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen in December did not result in any dramatic development...

If the ordinance is not withdrawn, farmers will stop supplies to the capital, says Ajit Singh Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh on Thursday put the Central government on notice and warned that unless the sugar cane pricing ordinance was withdrawn, farmers would stop supplies of commodities and milk to the capital. “We will shut down Delhi,” he declared at a massive rally of farmers. The rally, which stopped Delhi on...

Some news is considered more worth publicizing than some other news. This is part of an essential discipline, for otherwise we will remain perennially buried under an avalanche of data, information and gossip. The wheat, never mind the change of metaphor, has to be separated from the chaff. The media perform this task. Occasionally the government of the land helps the media to do the choosing: the authorities have their...

The trade union leaders say workers will not stop work, but will attend the demonstrations before or after their shifts Millions of workers will be on the streets across India on Wednesday, picketing and holding rallies to protest rising prices and job losses, officials said, though there may be little impact on production. Four major trade unions, including those affiliated with the ruling Congress party and those with the opposition...