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Dear Reader,
The state of Bihar’s government schools has often been described as abysmal and deplorable. Following a three-month investigation, मैं मीडिया finds that the state of Bihar’s madrasas is even worse.
The grantee reports that of 3,587 madrasas, registered with the Bihar State Madrasa Education Board (BSMEB), only 1,942 are funded. And even these are in a pitiable condition. Essential facilities like toilets, drinking water, and access roads are absent and many operate out of hutments with thatched roofs. On the resources side, only a skeletal staff exists; and some of these schools do not have a single teacher.
Further up in the east, in Manipur, amidst the still simmering ethnic strife, the displaced Manipuris, fifty thousand of them as per official records, are the ones bearing the brunt -- with lives and livelihoods lost. The Citizen reports from the relief camps for the displaced, that the sense of hopelessness and bewilderment at the turn of events is palpable and all-pervasive.
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was enacted to let the law take its course against those who indulge in profiteering through the laundering of money. However, the seeming frenzy to use the law sometimes in an arbitrary and omnibus fashion has given rise to concerns that the provisions of the legislation are being misused. The Supreme Court Observer tells you why hackles are being raised.
The Centre has imposed the Aadhaar Based Payment System (ABPS) as mandatory for payment of wages under MGNREGA. While intended to stem the leakages in the system and ensure it is routed to bonafide recipients, the move has caused hardship and consternation. Mojo Story reports from Jharkhand on why, even after multiple extensions, the issue is still on the boil, with petitions and protests rife.
For more such stories from the grantees this week, please read on.
Warmly,
Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
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