When a massive sum of public money is spent on a programme like Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGA)--a demand-driven programme, there is likelihood of financial misappropriations and mismanagement. Thankfully there are checks and balances in the rural employment guarantee legislation to counter such malpractices. It is worth noting that the total allocation under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGA) for 2020-21 was Rs. 1,11,500.00 crore (R.E.), up...

-The Indian Express The data released by UNICEF notes that more than 888 million children worldwide continue to face disruptions to their education due to full and partial school closures. As many as 1.5 million schools remained shut during 2020 due to the pandemic and lockdowns, impacting 247 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools in India, according to data released by UNICEF Wednesday. “Online education is not an option for all...

-The Hindu/ PTI Online education is not an option for all as only one in four children has access to digital devices and Internet connectivity, the study says. Closure of 1.5 million schools due to coronavirus pandemic and the resultant lockdowns in 2020 impacted 247 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools in India, a UNICEF report has found.  Globally, schools for more than 168 million children have been completely closed for...

-BusinessToday.in Among the states, Haryana reported the highest unemployment rate of 26.4 per cent, followed by Rajasthan at 25.6 per cent and Goa at 21.1 per cent India's unemployment rate increased to 6.9 per cent in February 2021 from 6.53 per cent in the previous month, according to latest data released by private think-tank Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). The data showed that unemployment rate in urban areas declined despite a...

-Livemint.com * Demand in rural markets has outstripped sales growth in urban markets over the last several quarters. * Companies are betting on consumers in Rural India switching from unbranded, loose products to branded ones. Top FMCG makers are back to chasing growth in India's villages and are ramping up their reach in those markets. To be sure, companies are betting on large swathes of consumers in Rural India switching from unbranded, loose products...