-The Hindu Bihar, Haryana and Rajasthan have the highest proportion When the results to the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections came out two weeks ago, the northern State had produced twice the proportion of women legislators as its western counterpart. This isn't an exception; States with poor records on gender equality are consistently producing more female MLAs. Using Election Commission of India data, The Hindu found that as of today, Bihar, Haryana and Rajasthan...
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State has delivered double blow to RTI, say angry activists -Yogesh Naik & Rajendra B Aklekar
-Mumbai Mirror Second punch: Govt issues circular telling officials to hold back any files that they think are not in public interest. Outraged Right to Information (RTI) activists have railed at two government notifications, issued in the last two weeks, which they say seek to dilute the efficacy of the RTI Act. Some advocates of transparency and the regime of accountability have termed the orders "illegal" and have written letters of protest...
More »Black Diwali: Six farmers commit suicide in Vidarbha
-DNA It's been a black Diwali for Vidarbha where six farmers - four from Yavtamal and one each from Akola and Amravati - have committed suicide in the last 24 hours, casting a dark cloud over what should have been a time for rejoicing after the kharif crop. The farmers who ended their lives are Rajendra Chahand of Kelzara village, Dutta Chede of Umari (Pathar), Nagraj Mahadolhe of Parva, Arun Kurnule of...
More »Move to dilute MGNREGA: From Right to Scheme
Documents availed through RTI reveals that the Rural Development minister Shri Nitin Gadkari has ordered to bring drastic changes in the schedule of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which includes changing the labour to material ratio and restricting the implementation of MGNREGA in 1/3rd of backward blocks in India (please click here to access a note on labour-material ratio prepared by People's Action for Employment Guarantee-PAEG). The MoRD has notified the...
More »Money in black -Varghese K George and Pheroze L Vincent
-The Hindu Corruption in India has undergone a qualitative shift from the days of licence Raj to the era of liberalisation. Opportunities for making money have come in handy for politicians, who were also dealing with a new political situation of fragmentation and instability. In the days leading to the 2008 Assembly election in Karnataka, slum-dwellers in Bangalore were startled to see small bundles flying in through their windows at night. The...
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