New Tools in the Fight against Poverty: Information Access and Employment Guarantees in India

While India emerges as one the world’s most formidable economies, it still continues to combat widespread poverty and unemployment, especially in its rural areas. Two of the most intriguing ideas emerging from within India to deal with these problems are: increased access to information and possible legislation relating to employment guarantees.

On Tuesday, November 1, the Brookings Institution and the National Security Archives will co-host a briefing featuring Dr. Shekhar Singh to discuss these topics. Dr. Singh taught at the University of Delhi and at the Indian Institute of Public Administration for over thirty years. Until recently, he was director of the Centre for Equity Studies, New Delhi. Currently he is the convener of the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information in India and, in that capacity, has been closely associated with the campaign for the formulation and passage of the Right to Information Act and the Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

A question and answer session will follow remarks.