Women-led and women’s rights organizations are on the frontlines of today’s humanitarian crises—but many are at risk of disappearing. As global needs rise due to conflict, climate change, and displacement, deep cuts to foreign aid are threatening organizations that provide life-saving services for women and girls. In March 2025, UN …
The ministry of rural development is mulling over changes in the implementation guidelines of the country’s largest rural employment guarantee programme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The ministry has constituted a committee to be chaired by member Planning Commission Mihir Shah that will look into issues …
The Japanese government has given the World Food Programme (WFP) US$ 10 million or Tk 75 crore to provide food assistance to the poor communities vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change impacts in Bangladesh, says a press release. The donation will allow the WFP to assist 80,000 extremely poor …
New Delhi: Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said states should invoke the penalty clause against government officials for not doing their work under the job scheme. Ramesh said rules should be framed to activate section 25 of MGNREGA, which seeks to impose penalty of up to Rs 1,000 on lax …
NEW DELHI, 1 SEPT: In order to achieve the targeted goals of the UPA’s flagship scheme, Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, the government has decided on a series of “reforms” to make it a truly “demand-driven and right-based programme”. “… the original objectives of MGNREGA are yet to be achieved, and its …
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 which is a rights-based flagship scheme of the Government of India with effect from 2 February, 2006, guarantees at least 100 days of wage employment in a given financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do …
Taking note of rising cases of financial irregularities in several works done under its flagship rural employment scheme MNREGA, the Centre has sent more than 230 special investigation teams to various states in the past five years to probe them. Out of the total of 236, 92 teams of National …
The poverty level in the Hambantota district has dropped to 6.9 percent in comparison to the country's overall poverty level of 7.6 percent. This is a positive development under the Mahinda Rajapaksa government, said Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa at a meeting of the Hambantota District Co-ordinating Committee held at …
The government plans to focus its flagship rural jobs guarantee plan on the poorest districts of the country as there is a growing recognition within the administration that the scheme’s nation-wide rollout has adversely impacted its performance. Launched in 2006, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee programme promises at …
Three states have sought more funds under the government’s rural employment scheme to meet a surge in demand for jobs from farm hands affected by fluctuation in monsoon rains. Poor rainfall in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Assam this year has dried up farm work, compelling farm workers to turn to the …
Even as results of a pilot study on direct cash transfers in lieu of rations are still awaited, postal staff in Delhi are getting slum-dwellers to open accounts. “We are being asked to pay Rs 50 and submit two photos, after which money will be transferred in our post office …
Concern over protecting the ‘holy cow’ status to the job guarantee programme, MGNREGA, appears to be overshadowing genuine worries in the government over increasing shortage of unskilled farm labour. Shooting down a suggestion from Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar that the programme may be suspended during the peak farming season, Rural …
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) — a specialised agency of the United Nations based in Rome — has decided to chip in with funds to aid promotion of livelihood in the tribal hinterland. The move, which is in line with IFAD’s goal of empowering poor rural men and …
New, simplified guidelines for the rural job guarantee scheme will be issued soon. The focus, after consultation with States, will be on ensuring jobs in Naxal-infested areas, skill development and flexibility. The Union Rural Development Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh, told this to the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Mahatma Gandhi National …
Remunerations to be disbursed only through institutional channels under the job guarantee scheme The government has amended its landmark Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to ensure that beneficiaries receive wage entitlements under the Act within 15 days through institutionalised channels, like banks and post offices. The amendment …
The well being dug under the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme at a cost of Rs 2.63 lakh at Gutjera village in Khunti district could not withstand the first spell of monsoon rain. On July 18, its walls collapsed, and so did the dreams of Shravan Mahato of …
Recommending the government to ensure that “at least two-thirds of investment” under the NREGS is channelled towards “natural resources management”, the National Advisory Council Thursday decided to suggest to the government to set up a “mission structure for intensive support and facilitation” for decentralised planning and implementation of the scheme …
