Full coverage: Development

28.02.2006 KATHMANDU: The poverty alleviation agenda of the government is being well-supported by the Fair Trade Group Nepal (FTGN) providing employment opportunities to more than 7,000 marginalised people in 46 districts of the country.

28.02.2006 Farmers snatched 50 sacks of urea at Keshabpur upazila in Jessore on Sunday evening after failing to collect any from dealers.

28.02.2006 KABUL – The United Nations World Food Programme today called on donors urgently to provide funds to its Afghanistan operation, which is facing critical shortages in supplying food to 3.5 million vulnerable Afghans.

28.02.2006 ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will decide to extend financial assistance for mega water reservoirs once the government of Pakistan achieves a complete consensus and ensures comprehensive compensation to the people affected by the dams, said Peter L Fedon, country director ADB resident mission.

28.02.2006 ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to investigate the sugar shortage in the country and fix responsibility on those who caused this crisis.

27.02.2006 The Economic Survey for the financial year 2005-06 has presented today 27th Feb 2006. Some key feature of this year Economic Survey: India’s overall performance on human development has been mixed in the last decade. Improvements in health indicators like life expectancy and infant mortality rates have been much slower than expected. Progress of social development has varied across States

27.02.2006 India’s overall performance on human development has been mixed in the last decade. Improvements in health indicators like life expectancy and infant mortality rates have been much slower than expected. Progress of social development has varied across States. While Kerala stood apart from the rest and achieved high levels of human development comparable to the rich developed countries, the so called ‘BIMARU’ states (viz. Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) fared particularly badly. Social sector subjects mostly fall under the State list. However, guided by the objectives laid down in the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP), the Central Government has launched certain major initiatives for social sector development. There is widespread undernutrition among women and children, and maternal and child health still remain areas of concern.

27.02.2006 Inclusive education is a vital part of discussion on developments in education at both national and international levels. The earlier system of segregated education, or special schools for children with disabilities, was a reflection of care, not rights or entitlements. It is now believed that this should be replaced by inclusive education with emphasis on rights, equal opportunity and participation.

27.02.2006 The actual experience shows that the IT revolution can benefit rural areas too. Well known examples in India are the e-choupals of ITC, the Bhoomi land records programme of the Karnataka government, and the e-governance initiatives of many state governments. All these have greatly benefited farmers and other rural folk. Note that all these initiatives are based on computers. I believe that the cell phone, not the computer, will be the real bridge across the digital divide.

26.02.2006 During the run-up to the budget, Mumbai Mirror speaks to people from various fields to ask them about their expectations from the Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

26.02.2006 Education is an engine for the growth and progress of any society. It not only imparts knowledge and skills, and inculcates values, but is also responsible for building human capital which breeds, drives and sets technological innovation and economic growth.

26.02.2006 Educomp Solutions Ltd launched smart class programme .These digital classrooms are controlled by a knowledge centre set up in the school premises, which would serve as a repository of content. With a storage capacity of almost 106 gbs, the server will route the desired content to the respective classrooms through a campus-wide cable network. The teachers can use digital resources like graphics, animations, 3-D images and video clips extensively.

26.02.2006 The financial sector and banking have been in the spotlight of late, and it is very opportune for us to discuss this topic. Bangladesh has made real strides in strengthening the banking sector, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Bangladesh Bank Governor and of his predecessor. However, rising energy prices and pre-election politics are both increasing the number of loans at risk, and there is a very real risk that all the good work in the banking sector could be undone, all the hard-won gains lost, if pre-election politics are allowed their sway. In this environment, strong and committed leadership is needed to sustain existing efforts in the sector. Christine Wallich highlights some specific actions for Government’s full attention.

26.02.2006 In Bhutna has seen a substantial increase in honey production in Bumthang this year. The Beekeeper’s Association said that there had been an increase of almost 6000 kilograms compared to previous year. The association this time saw a total production of more than 12,000 kilograms of honey.

26.02.2006 Sri Lankans who are employed in foreign countries sent Rs. 197,967 million to their motherland in 2005. Deputy General Manager of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau Mr. L.K. Ruhunage points out that this is a 25% increase compared to the foreign employment income of Rs. 158,290 million in 2004.

26.02.2006 THIMPHU: Established with an aim to promote and preserve the age old traditional weaving heritage of Bhutan the National Handloom Development Project (NHDP) is said to be doing a good business.

26.02.2006 Unsafe, unhygienic and unkempt are not words you want to associate with your child's school. But if a recent survey of Municipal Corporation of Delhi-run schools in the Jahangirpuri area is anything to go by, it's a reality that hundreds of children live with every day.

26.02.2006 We know how fishermen in Kerala had benefited greatly from cell phones, which enabled them to auction their catch while still at sea, and avoided tragedies where they might land their catch at a shore point where there were few buyers, leading to an unsold catch that rotted in the Kerala sun. There is more interesting story how cell phones enabled landless labourers to find out where daily jobs were available and go to those villages, instead of waiting in vain in the wrong villages.

26.02.2006 Total spending in primary education has fallen by 14 percent as a percentage of the total education allocation during the period of 93-94 to 2003-04 although in absolute term the spending has increased.

24.02.2006 It is believed that most cases of bird flu infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces, by touching of germs and then touching their mouth, nose, eating, licking of their fingers and rubbing their eyes.