Is small beautiful? Are small states better governed? Here we present a debate featuring two veteran political leaders in the wake of the Telangana statehood row.
Just two days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir, security forces on Friday foiled a suicide attack in Jammu by the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed, eliminating two suspected Pakistani terrorists in an encounter after they fired on a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) bus and killed an officer.
The Centre has expressed displeasure over improper implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in some states, pointing to inadequacies like failure to put in place monitoring, auditing and accountability mechanisms.
After taking over as the new Panchayati Raj Minister, Deo disapproved of the actions of Andhra Pradesh MLAs and MPs who have resigned on Telangana issue.
Singh said it is the principle of BJP not to promote nepotism and fight against dynasty rule and his decision to resign is in line with the party's principles.
Newly-appointed Tribal Affairs and Panchayati Raj minister V Kishore Chandra Deo on Tuesday asserted that no development can take place at the cost of people's rights and said the mindset that tribals can be displaced for mining projects will have to be changed.
"This is not a manifesto, it is our pledge to bring a change which is set to become true. Every sector has been taken into consideration while preparing this manifesto so that we can make Bihar a happy, better and prosperous state," Tejashwi Yadav said while releasing vision document.
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday assured the people of Gool that requisite action would be taken against those responsible for the firing incident of July 18 in Ramban district in which four persons were killed.
The government on Friday renamed its flagship rural job guarantee programme - National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) - after Mahatma Gandhi.
Describing Mayawati as a "living goddess", the ruling BSP in Uttar Pradesh, facing a hail of criticism over the garland issue, says it will continue to weigh its party supremo in gold and silver.
In the last Cabinet meeting held a few days ago, there was a virtual face off between Union Human Research and Development Minister Kapil Sibal and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister C P Joshi, with Joshi objecting to the setting up of an education tribunal being installed by Sibal.
Chidambaram did speak on the resolution later and as always did a good job. But some ministers sitting there found it strange that he was telling the prime minister and Sonia Gandhi what they should do in the next 10 years and some said it sounded almost like a dictation!
The MGNREGS started in 24 districts of the state from February 2, 2006 while it is in operation in the rest six districts from April 1, 2008.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the ongoing delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir has to happen quickly so that polls can be held to instal an elected government that gives strength to its development trajectory.
Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha, who was a minister himself in the previous National Democratic Alliance government, was visibly shaken at the disdain shown towards the Chair by Samrat Chaudhary who holds the Panchayati Raj portfolio.
The group will recommend schedules of activities for bilateral exchanges between the two countries.
Modi also pitched for a social movement to ensure the safety of women and girls.
"We have made temporary arrangements for the stay of legislators in Circuit House, Officers' Training School, Panchayati Raj Bhawan and Indira Gandhi Canal Board guest house in Jaipur. Rooms in the Secretariat and vehicles for the ministers are also ready," said Rajasthan Principal Secretary GAD Rakesh Srivastava.
In the wake of recent terror attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul, the two countries on Tuesday put up a united face and resolved to jointly fight the "enemies of peace".
government approved on Thursday expansion of community radio stations by non-profit organisations after ensuring security clearances from the defence and home ministries.
A 14-member council of ministers was sworn in Patna by Governor Phagu Chauhan on Monday and the BJP bagged seven berths.
Successive elections have demonstrated that the BJP campaign switches towards polarisation when it is faced with palpable discontent among the electorate, notes Utkarsh Mishra.
Militants hurled a powerful grenade at the private house of Manipur Panchayati Raj Minister Mohammed Alaudin in East Imphal district, official sources said on Tuesday. No one was injured in the attack as the grenade failed to explode, they said.
A division bench of the Kerala high court on Tuesday quashed the Puthussery panchayat's order cancelling the licence given to PepsiCo India Holdings
The minister emphasises the need for greater urbanisation of rural India to curb the rising migration from villages to metropolitan cities.
The Government of India has decided to launch a massive rural public works scheme, 'Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan', to "empower and provide livelihood opportunities to the returnee migrant workers and rural citizens". Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch this scheme on June 20 through video conference in the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi.
Surjewala said the digital platform will air eight hours of live programming from April 24, but will not be on the Satellite or OTT.
He said Bangladesh has expressed its interests in exchanging experiences on local government and so have South Africa and Brazil.
India has helped the world discover the true potential of democracy and the keyword for the country today is compassion for the downtrodden, needy and those on the margins, President Droupadi Murmu said on Sunday.
Lalit Srivastav, chairman of the Noida, Greater Noida and Taj Express Way Authority, was given additional charge as CEO of Greater Noida and Taj Express Way Authority.
A fascinating excerpt from Arghya Sengupta, Jinaly Dani, Kevin James, and Pranay Modi's Hamn Ast: A Biography of Article 370.Instead came a recommendation from Parliament, acting under the imposition of President's Rule, purporting to convey the views of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. This clever act achieved Parliament's purpose optimally. But was it legitimate in law?
Terming India's fiscal decentralisation as 'flawed', the World Bank has mooted six broad strategies, including strengthening the state finance commissions, broadening tax base and greater devolution of power to Panchayati Raj institutions.
Union Panchayati Raj and Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar was admitted to the Apollo Hospital in Chennai after he developed chest pain on Wednesday morning. "His condition is stable and there is nothing to worry about. However, he will be kept under observation at the ICU for the next 24 hours," hospital sources said.
Mukherjee will travel to Pakistan on January 13 to invite President Pervez Musharraf for the SAARC summit to be held here in early April and hold 'substantive talks' with Kasuri.
The chapters were dropped by the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) for the 2020-21 session, as part of the 30 per cent reduction of the syllabus, keeping in mind the loss of academic schedule that the students had to face because of the pandemic.
Earlier in the day, the MLAs held a closed-door meeting in the state capital to discuss the issue in the aftermath of quota agitation and violence which has claimed 14 lives so far.
They will help pursuing research on issues like panchayati raj, women's empowerment and nuclear disarmament, subjects close to the heart of the late leader.
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