-The Business Standard   The Supreme Court today asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in six districts of Orissa. The apex court has directed the Central investigative agency to submit its report within six months. The CBI has been asked to check if the operational guidelines of the Central scheme were duly complied...

-The Hindu   For the first time, the Union government will carry out a Survey on the use and acceptability of the alternative systems of medicine and employ the results for effective planning of a road map for Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH). The National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) has agreed to include some questions, in its Consumer Expenditure Schedule for the 68th annual round of socio-economic Surveys, for collecting...

CBI told to submit first report within six months Many States erred in implementing the schemes The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe alleged misuse of the schemes under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in 100 villages in six districts of Orissa. A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia, Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar gave this direction on a petition...

The self-esteem of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), the activist group formed by Medha Patkar 22 years ago, may suffer a severe dent with the Supreme Court on Wednesday “discrediting” the organisation for making false statements. The observation, part of a judgment by a three-member Bench, led by Justice J M Panchal, follows an earlier caution that it may be “blacklisted” from representing the farmers of Narmada valley in any court. The...

The Planning Commission has defended the poverty line cut-off and urged the Supreme Court not to “interfere with the methodology developed by experts over the years to estimate the incidence of poverty.” However, it left a window for the court to direct an upward revision of the limit —daily consumption expenses per head of Rs 20 in urban areas and Rs 15 in rural areas at 2004-2005 prices — saying “these...