-Counterview.net Objecting to the use of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) against Amnesty International, forcing the top NGO to close its office in India, and the arrest human rights activists, especially 83-year-old Fr Stan Swamy, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has asked the Government of India to safeguard the rights of human rights defenders and NGOs, and their ability to carry out their crucial work on...

-The Indian Express "Further, as the Aayog is a public-funded body, if these claims were made without scientific backing... can be construed as misutilisation of public money, particularly in a time when every sector of the country is struggling for funding," it added. Mumbai: Over 400 scientists from across the country on Thursday endorsed an open letter to the chairman of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog, Vallabhbhai Kathiria, questioning his source of information after...

-TheWire.in The New Education Policy has presented a grand vision document on schooling that does not relate to the ground reality of either the children or the state. A national policy that has been six years in the making, and has come after a long gap of 34 years, has a lot of expectations riding on it. The Kasturirangan Committee that drafted the policy no doubt took on the task with sincerity...

-Down to Earth Distress among marginal farmers and unavailability of food to migrant labourers has been largely ignored in Union government’s economic stimulus   Agriculture and allied activities are considered ‘essential’ and officially face no restriction to harvest and supply to the market, even in the middle of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. But an agrarian crisis stemming from systemic failures needs to be considered for immediate policy response. The current distress...

-The Hindu Business Line Private oligopolies may end up forcing small and marginal farmers to accept poorer terms for their produce A big-bang reform claimed to usher in the farm sector as Finance Minister announced ₹1-lakh crore funding support for strengthening of farm-gate infrastructure such as cold chains and post-harvest management infrastructure. Additional measures include a ‘facilitative legal framework’ to enable farmers for engaging with modern food chains in a fair and...