-Livemint.com The easy part is nearly done but India lacks the data back-up and processes needed now for full coverage To quicken the pace of COVID vaccination and its equitable distribution, we are working with over 500 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across 12 states. By end October, our effort will scale up to over 3,000 PHCs across some 20 states, helping serve about 100-120 million people in a wide range of geographies—from...

-Foundation of Agrarian Studies An influential section of Sri Lankan agricultural economists and scientists has deplored the recent course change in the country’s agricultural policy made by the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government. The decision by the government to ban the use and import of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in pursuit of a “100 per cent organic food producer” status for Sri Lanka has already had disastrous consequences for the economy of the...

-The Hindu A reduction in arrival of patients from other States due to the lockdown could explain under-count factor falling below one in 2020 The number of “excess deaths” registered by the Civil Registration System (CRS) in Delhi ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit (from April 2020 to June 2021) was an estimated 55,239, which is 2.2 times the official reported figure of 24,977 COVID-19 deaths for the same period. The undercount factor...

Generally, economists refer to indicators like Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) and Unemployment Rate (UR) in order to assess the extent of joblessness and work related precarity at a particular period of time in a certain geographical area. However, there are other indicators too, which can help in understanding the job situation, livelihoods security and vulnerability of workers in a better way such as 'percentage distribution...

-NDTV.com A number of state assembly polls, including in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, are scheduled over the next few months.  New Delhi: The BJP's NDA ally Janata Dal-United (JDU) today demanded that the Centre roll back the hike announced today in LPG cylinder prices by petroleum companies. The party, which leads the coalition in Bihar, cited the financial pressure on households amid the COVID pandemic and said political rivals could use the...