Ankaji Bhai Gangar, a 49-year-old subsistence farmer, stood in line in this remote village until, for the first time in his life, he squinted into the soft glow of a computer screen. His name, year of birth and address were recorded. A worker guided Mr. Gangar’s rough fingers to the glowing green surface of a scanner to record his fingerprints. He peered into an iris scanner shaped like binoculars that...
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Madhya Pradesh's high-tech solution for PDS by Latha Jishnu and Jyotika Sood
State links PDS to UID to plug leakages in food supplies but gaps remain Madhya Pradesh has opted for the technologically most sophisticated—and costliest—method for revamping its public distribution system (PDS). It is one of a handful of states that is trying to ensure that subsidised food reaches the segment it is meant for, the pooRest of the population or those below the poverty line (BPL). But the route it has...
More »The false Gandhi by Salil Tripathi
Gandhi’s struggle was to get Indians to choose their destiny, not letting a moralist to decide on their behalf During the 12 days of melodrama when India apparently solved the problem of corruption, one claim Kisan Baburao Hazare’s followers consistently made was that his fast was a non-violent, Gandhian protest. If Mohandas Gandhi could go on a fast-unto-death to force a government to relent, so could Hazare. Hazare’s media-savvy handlers ensured that...
More »CIC widens scope of RTI application
-The Deccan Herald Applicants can seek info on more subjects In a landmark decision that would enthuse RTI applicants and activists across the country, the Central Information Commission has said it is not necessary for information seekers to limit RTI applications ''to only one subject matter''. Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi, in a sharp departure from the Commission’s earlier decisions, observed: “There is no legal requirement on an applicant’s part to Restrict the scope...
More »Are Indian MPs 'anpadh'? Not at all show parliament records
-IANS Are most Indian MPs "anpadh" (uneducated) and "ganwar" (illiterate) as Om Puri alleged at the Ramlila Maidan? While the actor faces a privilege motion in the Rajya Sabha for his remark, an insight into the background of Indian parliamentarians reveals that he is completely off the mark. Over 80 percent of Indian MPs are graduates, and some have studied further, according to parliament records. Anna Hazare's aide Kiran Bedi also faces a...
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