Ruhi Tewari

The recently-released India Rural Development Report, which is endorsed by the government, says 7% of the rural population is ‘very poor’; villages in eastern Indian states are the worst affected.

The MGNREGA promises 100 days of employment every year to each rural household. The Act mandates that at least a third of the workers under the scheme should be women.

In 2006, the Rural Development Ministry under then minister Jairam Ramesh had inked an agreement for the publication of an annual India Rural Development Report by the IDFC Rural Development Network.

As per available data, while Bihar shows an improvement in the pupil-teacher ratio between 2009-10 and 2013-014 from 57 to 51, it remained far below the national average which changed from 32 to 26 in the same period.

In a circular dated September 8, the HRD ministry has instructed all bureau heads in the ministry to circulate instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office to this effect to all institutions and bodies under them for “strict adherence”.

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A section of the academia and the students feel that these guidelines infringe upon the individual liberties and privacy.

The three language formula states that schools must teach Hindi, English and one modern Indian language. Brought in 1968, it was reiterated in the 1986 education policy, as well as in 2005.

As per the Socio Economic Caste Census of 2011, 88.82 per cent households in Bihar are rural, second only to Assam.

The ministry has “resolved” to bring down the percentage of delayed payments to single digits.

A claimed 16 cr members of 10 central trade unions shut down parts of the country to protest changes in labour laws and privatisation of PSUs.

Sources said the fresh ordinance was likely to be in sync with the report set to be presented by the parliamentary panel.

The Muslim community has registered a moderate 0.8 per cent growth to touch 17.22 crore in the 10 year period between 2001 and 2011, up from 13.8 crore, while Hindus population showed a decline by 0.7 per cent at 96.63 crore during the period, the census data said.

Modi’s address to students on Teachers’ Day last year was beamed live in over 18 lakh government and private schools in the country, with 1,000 students present at the venue.

The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) on Wednesday made a strong pitch for scrapping the no-detention policy for Classes I to VIII, along with bringing back board exams in Class X.

The academic calender- which lists all important events, festivals, programmes scheduled each month for CBSE-affiliated schools- shows Dec 25 as both “Christmas Day” and “Good Governance Day”.

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said Sushma had not replied to the seven questions he had raised Wednesday.

Aadhaar, implemented by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and launched by the previous UPA government, provides a unique, bio-metrically verified 12-digit number to all residents of the country.

In its report tabled in Parliament, the standing committee on rural development, headed by AIADMK leader P Venugopal, noted the ministry had not taken the panel’s recommendation in the “right perspective”.

Nine substantive amendments had been brought through an ordinance and, subsequently, as part of a Bill. The ordinance has been repromulgated thrice.

The issue over which his MPs raised slogans and displayed placards was, however, different.

Chaos in the Lok Sabha resumed Monday with Congress members again storming the well, holding placards and shouting slogans.

Asked if Congress was isolated in Parliament due to its protests, he said, 'We are not isolated'.

Sources said all the 11 BJP members in the Joint Committee of Parliament on land bill on Monday moved amendments seeking to bring back social impact assessment and consent clause.