In five districts, just 500 beneficiaries
The Union government’s direct cash transfer scheme linked to the Unique Identification (UID) number was launched with much fanfare in January with pilots in five districts of Rajasthan. The government
Civil Society
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Anegundi is first in rural tourism
The picturesque hamlet of Anegundi, perched on the banks of the Tungabhadra, has many claims to fame. Anegundi is a pioneer in the Endogenous Tourism Projects programme. Started 2004 in 36 destinations across India, the programme is being carried out by the United Nations Development Programme in partnership with the Union Ministry of Tourism.
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Delhi eyes Himachal water
The city of Delhi gets a lot of rain every year, more than sufficient for its needs, but it does not use that rainwater. It had hundreds of water bodies, but it has destroyed most of them and continues to destroy the remaining ones. For its supply of water Delhi looks for the easy option of proposing a massive dam in a far off area.
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Orissa's women continue to die
Seven women die every day in Orissa due to pregnancy-related causes. The Union government's Janani Surakshya Yojana (JSY) is a scheme which seeks to prevent maternal mortality, but it is feeble.
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RTI and the middle class
Perhaps no other law has grabbed the urban middle class as much as the Right to Information Act. For the first time in 60 years, well off people sought to use a law to improve governance and make themselves accountable as citizens. By and large, the middle class views most legislation with some distant amusement.
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Understanding good governance
Good governance is a frequently used term these days. Nearly every problem from red tape to social evils is traced to the lack of good governance. But ask people who use the term what it means and the answer is invariably incoherent. For a clearer understanding reach out to The Intelligent Person's Guide to Good Governance.
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Short shrift for dam investors
The Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) is in the news again for the wrong reasons, as usual. This time the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) is trying to go back on its promises to the very investors who put their money in the project when it was facing its strongest opposition from all quarters.
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Roadmap for affordable housing
Far from the debris of the downturn, a very different real estate market is taking shape. Developers have begun seeing business sense in building cheaper and affordable homes for people with small incomes. With the bubble of rising real estate prices having burst, even some of the bigger companies are looking at the small home buyer, realising that this is where opportunity really lies.
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The devoted leader
Four years after the tsunami, the people of Poompuhar lead a well-settled life. You can see resettled villages of fishing and farming communities with neat rows of houses. There are well laid out roads flanked by neon street lights. The transformation of 10 villages in this panchayat is the handiwork of former panchayat president, Manimekhalai, and the district administration.
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Rolling back the tsunami
When the tsunami struck the coast of Tamil Nadu four years ago, the village of Poompuhar in Sirkali taluk of Nagapattinam district as one of the worst affected. When the waves withdrew, more than death stalked the coastline. With livelihoods and homes gone, Nagapattinam was a land of the living dead.
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The truth about panchayats
Is the Indian village becoming more inclusive after the introduction of panchayati raj?