The Rajya Sabha on Thursday approved re-naming the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGREGA), but not before the Government was criticised for corruption in the implementation of the scheme launched in 2005. Responding to clarifications, Union Minister for Rural Development C.P. Joshi announced that there would be a “different wage index” under the scheme, one that may not necessarily be...

Rajasthan had emerged as a model for transparency and accountability in NREGS implementation. Tragically, entrenched interests have been allowed to hijack the process.  Through the second half of October and for most of November this year, Rajasthan was engulfed in an unusual form of protest, spearheaded in the main by gram panchayat officials. Joined in some places by elected MLAs and MPs, and backed covertly by a section of District...

Business lobbyists complain that a regulatory tsunami is on its way. But some firms are embracing the proposed reforms “WHEN people hear the word regulation, they feel stifled, delayed, and many times they believe that government is being intrusive,” said Hilda Solis, America’s labour secretary, on December 7th as she unveiled plans for 90 new regulatory initiatives to improve the lot of workers. If you doubt her word, try mentioning regulation...

Women will soon be able to avail themselves of a single window service for all programmes run by the government for them under a new national mission for empowerment of women. Minister of State for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath said on Tuesday the mission would help make development programmes easily accessible to women from all sections of society. She was talking to journalists on the sidelines of the Dalit...

Mamata Banerjee today asserted that land would not be taken forcibly for the dedicated freight corridors and multiple options were on the table to procure plots for other rail projects. “We will not take land forcefully for the dedicated freight corridor. We would negotiate and amicably settle the issue….what (is the problem) if there is a delay of four to six months,” the railway minister said during a debate on demands...