India needs more decentralisation, some states resistant to devolving power: EAC-PM chairman
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New Delhi (PTI): India needs greater decentralisation but in many states, there is resistance to devolving powers to local councils, according to Mahendra Dev, Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).
At a ceremony to award the fourth Rohini Nayyar Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Rural Development, Dev said the level of decentralisation in China and the US is much higher.
"India needs greater decentralisation, which should involve giving more powers to panchayats and local bodies, along with increased use of technology in the agricultural sector to improve rural wages,... There is resistance in many states to devolving powers to local councils," he said.
Recalling the contribution of former economist and bureaucrat Rohini Nayyar, Dev said the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) through panchayats not only helped improve wages but also helped build trust in grassroots democracy.
He presented the prize to Pune's social entrepreneur Vidhya Parshuramkar for her contribution to making nutrition more accessible, sustainable and community-driven.
Parshuramkar leads Agrozee Organics and its flagship initiative, Millets Now.
An MTech in Food Technology from IIT Kharagpur, she discovered early in her journey how scientific innovation can transform traditional foods into modern nutritional solutions.
The award, instituted in 2022 in memory of Nayyar, comes with a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, a citation and a trophy.
The Rohini Nayyar Prize was instituted by the family of Nayyar, an eminent scholar-administrator who spent much of her professional life working on issues related to rural development in India.
The prize is given out annually by the Nayyar Foundation for Social and Economic Purpose.
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Karnataka police constable arrested for forging passport verification records
Mangaluru: A police constable attached to the Vitla Police Station has been arrested for allegedly forging documents and manipulating passport verification records to obtain a clearance certificate from the authorities.
Police said on Tuesday that a person identified as Shakti Das, who claimed to be residing within the jurisdiction of the Vitla Police Station, first applied for a passport in February 2025.
During police verification, it was found that the address mentioned in the application did not match official records, following which the application was not recommended.
In June 2025, Shakti Das reportedly submitted a second passport application. Police alleged that Pradeep, a staff member at the Vitla Police Station, processed the reapplication without informing the concerned beat constable, Sabu Mirji, who was responsible for verifying the applicant’s address.
Pradeep allegedly prepared a verification report in the name of the beat constable, forged his signature, secured approval from senior officers, and forwarded the report. He is also accused of destroying verification-related documents to conceal the irregularities.
As per the report, the matter came to light on December 19 during a scrutiny of records. Police said the acts amounted to criminal breach of trust, as a crucial identity document issued by the Central government was fraudulently obtained.
Police further said that Shakti Das claims to hail from West Bengal, and his address is currently being verified.
Based on the findings, Vitla Police have registered a case against Pradeep and passport holder Shakti Das under Sections 336, 337, 316(5), and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Pradeep has been arrested and produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody. Further investigation is underway, police said.
