Image source: Punjab Kesari, India Today and Odisha Connect; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   India’s flagship rural jobs programme is on the brink of its biggest rewrite in two decades. The Centre is preparing to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and replace it with a new framework that promises more workdays on paper but tighter controls in practice. The proposed shift touches the core of rural welfare: who pays, when work is available, and who decides how much employment a State can actually offer. Hot off the Press Reporting for The Times of India, Subodh Ghildiyal and Dipak Dash say the new law — the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 — will raise guaranteed work from 100 to 125 days, but fundamentally alter the scheme’s DNA. Unlike MGNREGA’s demand-driven model, the new programme will run on fixed, “normative” allocations decided by the Centre. States crossing tha

  As winter tightens its grip on Jammu, most families in the Narwal area are staying indoors to escape the cold. But journalist Arfaz Ahmad Daing and his family are living in a tent, struggling for survival and justice after their home was demolished by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) last month. The house, where seven members of the Daing family lived, was demolished on November 27, 2025. The family says the action was sudden and carried out without any prior notice or legal process. Arfaz’s father, 70-year-old Ghulam Qadir Daing, has accused JDA officials and police personnel of demolishing the house illegally. In a written complaint, he has asked the Jammu police to register an FIR for criminal trespass, intimidation and misuse of power. With no action taken so far, the family has announced that they will begin a hunger strike from December 22 if their demands continue to be ignored. While the elected government has blamed the lieutenant governor’s admin

CRN Australia is introducing Channel Chiefs in 2026 - the first such event in Australia under masthead owners The Channel Company - with applications now open for executives until January 30.  CRN Channel Chiefs will celebrate those executives setting the tone for partner success in the channel, according to CRN Australia Editor Athina Mallis.  “We're recognising the top vendor and distribution executives who are driving partner strategy and growth,” Mallis told Influencing.  “We're looking at an individual executive, and we're asking, ‘What have you done for the past 12 months within the channel that makes you worthy of being a channel chief?’ It's not a pay-to-play model to get on a list.” The concept began with CRN’s US publication a decade ago, and following The Channel Company taking back ownership of the CRN Australia title in April, Mallis said the launch of the CRN Channel Chiefs was a part of its re-launch editorial strategy.   “We’ve launched it

A new survey of Australian independent news publishers - mostly local and regional newspapers and outlets - has revealed a sector defined by deep structural challenges, as well as strong signs of growth, innovation and resilience.  The Local & Independent News Association’s annual membership survey covered 77 publishers that collectively operate 139 news services, with more than a quarter of publishers (27%) running multiple newsrooms or mastheads. LINA's Claire Stuchbery. One third (34%) of publishers identified their news organisation’s future as being uncertain or at-risk. However, key indicators of sustainability, including median revenue and average number of employed staff, increased in 2025 compared to previous years. Fewer publishers identified as being in the “emerging” stage, with more identifying as being in phases of business growth or maturity.  LINA Executive Director Claire Stuchbery said the respondents represented a new c

  The Press Club of India on Saturday, December 13, declared the results of its Managing Committee elections for the 2025–26 term, which were held on December 13. Senior journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty was elected President after securing 1,019 votes. She defeated Arun Sharma, who polled 89 votes, and Atul Mishra, who received 129 votes. For the post of Vice-President, Jatin Gandhi emerged victorious with 1,029 votes, defeating Prahlad Singh Rajput and Virender Prasad Saini. Afzal Imam was elected secretary general after polling 948 votes, while his rival Gyan Prakash secured 290 votes. P. R. Sunil Kumar was elected Joint Secretary unopposed, and Aditi Rajput was elected Treasurer unopposed. Sixteen others were elected to the Managing Committee. The elected members are Abhishek Kumar Singh, Agraj Pratap Singh, Ashok Kaushik, Dr Prem Bahukhandi, Jahnavi Sen, Javed Akhtar, Kallol Bhattacharjee, Manoj Sharma, Nayanima Basu, Niraj Kumar, Pabba Suresh Babu, Praveen Jain, Re

Following the death of journalist Ramakant Mahanand in a road accident, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh for his family. The Chief Minister expressed deep sorrow over the incident and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family. He directed that the compensation be paid from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Mahanand, a Rairakhol correspondent for OTV, a local news channel, was travelling to Nakatideula to cover a news assignment when his motorcycle hit a culvert. He suffered serious injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital by locals before being shifted to VIMSAR, Burla. However, he died during treatment, according to Ommcom News.  

  The media fraternity across India is grieving the loss of three respected journalists whose contributions shaped newsrooms in Assam, Kerala, and Odisha for decades. Prafulla Govinda Baruah: A Giant of Assam’s Newspaper Industry In Assam, the passing of Prafulla Govinda Baruah, Chairman Emeritus and Editor of The Assam Tribune, marks the end of an era. He breathed his last at a private hospital on Sunday, December 14, at 9.30 pm, following age-related ailments, The Assam Tribune reported. Born in Dibrugarh on July 26, 1932, Baruah’s academic journey was as distinguished as his professional one. A first-division matriculate from Gauhati University, he went on to study at Cotton College and later at Presidency College, Calcutta, earning degrees in Economics, an MA, and an LLB—graduating as a gold medallist from Calcutta University in 1957. His career in journalism began in 1962. By 1966, he had taken charge as Managing Director of the Assam Tribune group. In 1997, he also