LAST YEAR, when the Union government announced that it will pump an additional ₹40,000 crore into the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for the financial year 2020-21 as part of its covid-19 relief package, it was hailed as a well-thought-out move. After all, the anti-poverty scheme helps create durable assets like check dams and farm ponds; and improve agricultural productivity capacity of the poorest households. The additional amount the government announced was more than half of the ₹61,500 crore budget allocated for the scheme that year, and it did play a role in reducing the economic shock induced by the pandemic and the nationwide lockdown. As many as 110 million people benefitted from works under MGNREGA that year. By comparison, 78.8 million people benefitted in 2019-20 and 77.7 million in 2018-19.
Esta historia es de la edición June 16, 2021 de Down To Earth.
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Esta historia es de la edición June 16, 2021 de Down To Earth.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
