Tidbits | NREGA | Microfinance
[TCI TidBits]: WSJ on NREGA + VC investing in rural business
- Drawing a Line Under Poverty in *India* - WSJ Delhi Chief offers his criticism of NREGA, using the findings from a recent World Bank Study
- Food & Agri Business To Require $25-30 Bn Investment in Next 3 Years - Investment in rural business and microfinance no more on the fringe. Hopefully we would start seeing some big bucks flowing into the sectors
- India’s youth unite to combat climate change - Interesting Livemint piece (with Video) on the Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN)
- Drawing a Line Under Poverty in *India*
WSJ Delhi Chief offers his criticism of NREGA, using the findings from a recent World Bank Study
- Food & Agri Business To Require $25-30 Bn Investment in Next 3 Years
Investment in rural business and microfinance no more on the fringe. Hopefully we would start seeing some big bucks flowing into the sectors
- India’s youth unite to combat climate change
Interesting Livemint piece (with Video) on the Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN)
One Comment on “[TCI TidBits]: WSJ on NREGA + VC investing in rural business”
Two things about WSJ’s observation on NREGA
1. About moving beyond NREGA (which helps survive but not escape poverty).
The author is correct about making NREGA less prominent and making training, infrastructure investment, more prominent. But I given the imperfections in implementing NREGA (corruption), it would be too soon to expect the transition in the next 5 years. I suspect, it would leave a void that would be occupied by more corruption. “But is the government thinking about skill enhancement?” is the real question to face!
2. Transparency.
Well, there are concrete measures for transparency that are already delivering. For example, the wage payment are increasingly made as bank transfers to the worker rather than cash. Another example is making NREGA, RTI compliant. This empowers independent monitors like RTI activists. The Hindu Publication has followed NREGA very well. Links
The Hindu Magazine:
http://www.hindu.com/mag/2009/06/21/stories/2009062150010100.htm
The Frontline survey in Jan 2009 edition:
Go to http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2601/index.htm and look under “cover story” to the left of the page