Frustrated by the government's attitude to disability, an advocacy movement has sprung up in Madhya Pradesh, central India, fighting for the universal right of all children to attend school 'What are friends for? You listen for us and we'll see for you." The black-and-white photograph beneath the words shows a smiling boy with his arm around his partially sighted classmate. It encapsulates the inclusive education ideal – all children of all...

The recent crisis in the micro-finance industry, brought about by some incidents in Andhra Pradesh, has led to the development of a new concept in the Indian thinking on development — that of “responsible finance”. Responsible finance is supposed to mean financial activities by companies that make just about enough returns to stay in business and charge rates of interest on loans to the poor that are only marginally higher than what...

Faced with a liquidity crunch, microfinance companies have asked RBI to direct banks to set up an emergency fund of Rs 1,000 crore to help them tide over slowdown in their business. Sources said the Microfinance Institution Network (MFIN) is trying to convince the central bank in this regard. The micro finance sector has been reeling under a liquidity crisis after the Andhra Pradesh government issued an ordinance to control interest...

NREGA workers lifted their 47 days long Satyagrah/Dharna after the Center and Rajasthan State governments agreed to their demand wages on basis of Minimum Wages Act 1948. As per the press releas of SR Abhiyan, the struggling organization, on November 11, Mrs Gandhi wrote to the Prime Minister communicating the consensus reached in the NAC meeting on October 23, that workers should be paid minimum wages as notified under the...

The National Advisory Council under Sonia Gandhi is likely to discuss the crucial issue of land acquisition and the related problem of relief and rehabilitation at its next meeting on November 26. This was disclosed by social activist Medha Patkar, after she submitted a petition by various organisations under the banner of Sangharsh, spearheading the agitation against the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill and the Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill in their current...