As told to Parliament (March 19, 2021): No special plan for children under 15 impacted by pandemic

All that was discussed in the House through the day

COVID-19: Bihar profiles returned migrant workers for skills

The industry department has profiled skills of more than 80,000 migrant workers so far

Rural development

Several flagship schemes have faced huge cuts in annual allocation

Graft claims in MGNREGA squeezing poor workers, millions unpaid for months

Zero funds to Bengal, Lakshadweep this year, Centre admits in Parliament; activists ask to use pre-existing mechanisms to handle graft

Making migrants count: The role of Indian judiciary amid COVID-19 pandemic

The Supreme Court’s recent order has shifted the focus from protecting workers’ legal rights to government largesse 

How MGNREGA is promoting climate-smart villages

The works include constructing percolation tanks, households living in the catchment area for construction of check dams, afforestation, contour&…

Parched no more: MGNREGA enables multi-cropping in Bundelkhand’s Himmatpura

A check dam has allowed a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Jalaun district to grow crops in two cycles

Secure from drought: How MGNREGA changed lives in Bandlapalli

The village from where the scheme was launched in India, has remained untouched by drought in a water-scarce region

What did the UPA in?

The Congress alliance risked running a welfare programme-oriented government while at the same time giving a consumerist direction to the economy

Bihar lowers wage under MGNREGA

State blames poor financial condition for the move

Critiquing globalisation

In Churning the Earth, The Making of Global India, environmentalist Ashish Kothari and economist Aseem Shrivastava put India's much-hyped growth …

In rural West Bengal, debts mount and socioeconomic fabric collapses in absence of MGNREGS

Local economy hangs by a thread as residents desperately demand revival of the rural employment scheme

As told to Parliament (February 10, 2021): Some 37,439 villages in India without 3G/4G coverage

All that was discussed in the House through the day

As told to Parliament (September 18, 2020): 10,281 Indian farmers died by suicide in 2019

All that was discussed in the House through the day

Government tries to harvest success with farmer-friendly Budget

The 2016 Budget has the right intent for the rural sector, but lacks clarity

A quick fix: How ponds built under MGNREGA turned lives around

The realisation that ponds can rapidly recharge groundwater has increased demand for MGNREGA

Drought forever

Severe drought strikes India every eight to nine years and is a major reason for perpetuating poverty

MGNREGS: How the employment guarantee scheme holds up after 14 years

The scheme helped villagers beat poverty, created assets; Despite criticisms, it's time to ready MGREGS 2.0

Monsoon deficit spikes rural job demand under MGNREGS

Job demands in some states higher than recorded in COVID-19 pandemic

Critical to look beyond Bihar’s MGNREGA employment numbers

Agro-ecological suitability of MGNREGA works and created assets driving these employment figures are key lenses

How historical methods helped landless farmers earn a living

Farmers revive traditional retention ponds that drain water during floods and retain moisture in droughts

Water-stressed in India: Curious case of 2 neighbouring Telangana districts

The contrast in the districts’ JSA rankings was due to proper implementation of schemes

A million opportunities lost

The ruling alliance’s flagship rural employment programme took unprecedented strides in creating water conservation structures across the …

Big hikes in rural spending

Funds for MGNREGA maintained at Rs.33,000 crore, same as in 2012-13

What led to UPA’s downfall in Maharashtra

Besides high profile scams that dented the image of the Congress-NCP alliance, their government failed to reach welfare benefits to the poor and …