-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Centre has proposed making food fortification mandatory for all staples like rice, wheat flour, edible oil and milk to fight malnutrition but some experts have urged a cautious approach, warning of hidden costs and unproven health benefits. The Telegraph had reported in January 2016 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pushed the idea of universal fortification - addition of key vitamin and minerals to foods to improve...

-The Hindu The HRD Ministry official was responding to the Cabinet Secretariat’s directive in November. The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has expressed concern over the Centre’s push to link the Aadhaar number with subsidy schemes related to school education. In a recent inter-ministerial meeting, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL), under the HRD Ministry, said the decision to use the Aadhaar number as an identification document for receiving benefits under...

-The Tribune Chandigarh: Keeping in view the palate of students, the UT Education Department has decided not to source mid-day meals from the Akshaya Patra Foundation of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Chandigarh Tribune had earlier reported that students of government schools in the city will get mid-day meals from the Akshaya Patra Foundation of ISKCON from the new academic session, starting in April. However, the Education Department has now taken...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Economic Survey has recommended that biometric tracking of teachers' attendance be introduced in government primary schools and the data monitored by parents and local communities. The Survey has cited the low-learning outcome of children in government schools and linked it to teacher absenteeism and shortage of professionally qualified teachers. According to the UNESCO- EFA (Education For All) Monitoring Report for 2014, teacher absenteeism in India varies between 15...

-The Hindu Business Line Ahmedabad: Gender-based discrimination leads to greater neglect of girls, in turn leading to malnourishment and retardation in female children, explained experts at the Jaipur-based IIHMR University recently. Experts and academicians from the university revealed that as much as 56 per cent of girls aged between 15 and 19 suffer from anaemia. Commenting on the National Girl Child Day, Goutam Sadhu, Associate Professor and in-charge, School of Rural Management at...