-The Hindu Landed communities in Haryana thwarting women's rights to inheritance Jhajjar (Haryana): Hawa Singh is an 80-year-old, rheumy patriarch with a failing voice that one has to strain to hear. But mention his two daughters and their two year old legal battle with him to claim their share of the ancestral property and fire flashes inhis eyes and the voice acquires strength. "There is no question of giving ancestral land to...

-Down to Earth   14.5 per cent decline in employment under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, says country's chief auditor The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India recently released a report on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), highlighting the irregularities committed by the Uttar Pradesh government in implementing the scheme. CAG has pointed out that non-adherence to rules and regulations and inefficient financial management and monitoring of the...

-The Times of India CHANDIGARH: In an attempt to cleanse their image, especially after their opposition to marriages in the name of traditions, the khap Panchayats have decided to support inter-caste marriages in Haryana. However, a section of social activists have termed it as a gimmick in view of the continuing honour killings, saying, "The khaps incite villagers in the name of so-called traditions." Apart from same-gotra and same-village marriages, khaps have...

-The Hindu Bangalore: The government has identified 15 basic amenities to enhance quality of life in villages. It has asked gram Panchayats (GPs) to make all these facilities available to the people. These include drinking water, playgrounds and open-air theatres. The move is aimed at arresting the migration of rural people towards urban areas. In a circular issued last week, the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department said of the 6.11...

-The Indian Express Death toll mounts to 25; government describes situation in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts as "critical" Gopalpur/Srikakulam/Bhubaneswar: The death toll in calamity-ravaged Odisha on Monday mounted to 25 with four more persons perishing in several areas of the State in the aftermath of cyclone Phailin that triggered heavy rains and floods in some districts. The government described the situation in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts as "critical". Relief and rescue operations have been...