-Macroscan.org The advance GDP estimates for 2016-17, however calculated, show a grim picture of the economy. The real per capita income of the agriculture-dependent population, which constitutes half the country's populace, has remained stagnant or even marginally declined during the THRee years of the Modi government. While the pursuit of neoliberal policies can be held responsible for this, treating the aggregate growth as a "great achievement" for political mileage is unwarranted. Please...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Heat trapped by tarred roads and dense clusters of buildings may have added nearly 2 degrees to temperatures in the world's most populated cities, including Calcutta, Delhi and Mumbai, over and above the effects of global warming, researchers said today. Their study, described as the first to quantify the combined impacts of global warming and the "urban heat island effect", suggests that the overheated cities will face double...

-Livemint.com Conviction rates for crimes against Dalits have declined sharply since 2011 The recent clashes between Dalits and Thakurs in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have once again THRown the spotlight on the deep fault lines in Indian society. While violence against lower caste groups such as Dalits or scheduled castes (SCs) has a long history in the country, such crimes have been on the rise over the past few years, data...

-The Hindu Millet traders plan to approach Finance Ministry for relief; tax rate will not only affect consumers, but also farmers Bengaluru (Karnataka): The 5% tax on hulled grain, under the Goods and Service Tax (GST) to be rolled out from July 1, is going to be a dampener for many. For the first time, millet rice is coming into the tax bracket, and this will make it dearer for consumers. Known for...

-PTI MUMBAI: Reserve Bank will soon come out with final guidelines on customer protection which would limit customers liability in case of unauthorised electronic banking transactions, RBI deputy governor S S Mundra said on Tuesday. Last year in August, RBI had issued draft circular on limiting liability of customers in case on fraudulent banking transactions, resulting in debits to their accounts or cards. RBI had asked comments and suggestions on the same. "Based...