Last summer, about 150 families of Kachan village in Jharkhand’s Palamu district decided to pool funds to repair their only community tube well. A drought, the worst in many years, had dried up two ponds; there were no wells around; and the tube well had been dysfunctional for a year. It took a lot of hardship and one whole month for them to put together what the mechanic had asked...

For no fault of theirs, the poor have given the government much trouble. Unlike Blacks or Women, two other classes of people chosen often for favours, the poor do not distinguish themselves; and if they are identified by means of external criteria, their characteristics can be faked or forged. The temptation to do so becomes overwhelming when the government gives favours — rations, jobs, places in schools, medical treatment —...

India has launched its first high-tech census. Citizens will be photographed and will give 10 fingerprints each. The resultant database will be used to issue identity cards, and later smart cards, to all.  All Indians will welcome high-tech smart cards. Yet the technological lead has been taken not by the census commissioner but, astonishingly, by Bihar. This state has just completed a pilot project for smart cards in Patna district,...

The Centre has released Rs. 370.91 crore as its share to Nagaland till February during the fiscal 2009—10 and the state government contributed Rs. 15.53 crore for implementation of flagship programme NREGA for creating 100-day employment for rural poor. According to the latest annual administrative report of the RD department, till February 3, 21,141 households have been issued Job Cards under the Act which was being implemented in all 11...

Rural Development Minister C P Joshi today said only 65 lakh households had got 100 days employment under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme though 10 crore people had got Job Cards when the programme was launched.   "When NREGA was launched 10 crore people got Job Cards. Of these, 4.6 crore got work. But only 65 lakh households availed of 100 days work," Joshi said.   He was speaking at...