-The Tribune Figures second in country in deaths due to illicit/ spurious liquor Chandigarh: Suicides in Punjab decreased by about half a per cent in 2021, putting the state below the national average of 12 suicides per lakh population. Punjab reported only 8.1 suicides per lakh population. However, the state figures on top in the country in the share of deaths (1,164) in the category of illness and family problems. The state, known for...

-Down to Earth Hurdles in availing financial support under Nikshay Poshan Yojana will exacerbate India’s tuberculosis crisis Only two-thirds of people living with tuberculosis benefitted from the Union government’s sole nutrition support scheme last year, highlighting bottlenecks in the fight against a major public health concern. The Nikshay Poshan Yojana entitles every tuberculosis (TB) patient, seeking treatment in either the public or private sector, to a direct benefit transfer (DBT) of Rs 500...

-PTI/ NDTV.com Supreme Court: "If such a meaning is applied, it would render all government facilities such as education, healthcare to be freebies, which is unconscionable," submissions filed by senior advocate P Wilson on behalf of DMK, said. New Delhi: Welfare schemes provide uplift of weaker sections and cannot be described as "freebies", the DMK has told the Supreme Court. Opposing the plea filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay seeking action against political parties...

-The Tribune Karnal: The state government has banned the sale, stock, distribution and use of 10 insecticides for 60 days. These insecticides are mostly used for basmati paddy. The “residual effect” of these insecticides sometimes leads to the rejection of export consignments of basmati rice. The banned insecticides include Acephate, Buprofezin, Carbendazim, Chlorpyriphos, Methamidophos, Propiconazole, Thiamethoxam, Tricylazole, Profenophos and Isoprothiolance. Last week, the Punjab Government had imposed a similar ban on 10 insecticides. The...

-PTI/ Newsclick.in The economist said the word 'freebies' indicates the class position of those who use it. New Delhi: Economist Jayati Ghosh said that 'basic needs' like nutrition, healthcare, housing and education, which the government should provide for its citizens, are not freebies, while asserting that the poor are more entitled to receive their basic needs. Ghosh noted that the word 'freebies' indicates the class position of those who use it. "India has one...