-Down to Earth Ministers write protest letters to prime minister and finance minister, saying it would greatly impact ongoing schemes The Congress-led UPA government has been harping on its pro-poor schemes in the run up to the elections early next year. But it has effected a drastic cut in budgetary allocations for social welfare schemes. The move is reportedly prompted by the urgent need to contain current account deficit (CAD) to below...

-Outlook Berhampur (Odisha): Darkness still grips several rural areas of cyclone-ravaged Ganjam district in Odisha even though exactly a month has passed since Phailin hit the district. While restoration work is yet to be completed in rural areas, almost all the urban areas have got back power supply, power distribution company sources said. Of the 475 gram panchayats, power supply was partially restored in 269 panchayat headquarters so far, but fully restored in...

-The United Nations The United Nations and its partners are marking World Pneumonia Day today by highlighting essential actions that can help end child deaths from the single biggest killer of children under the age of five around the world. Pneumonia claims the lives of more than one million girls and boys every year, even though deaths from the disease are preventable, according to a joint news release issued by the World...

-Economic and Political Weekly Taking on the argument that malnutrition in India is caused by forces that respond only partially to policy interventions, this article points out that it is important to look at the role of disease conditions - shaped by inadequate water, poor sanitation, and insufficient public health measures - in poor nutrition. Moreover, the relationship between disease and food intake is multiplicative rather than additive, and omission of...

-Outlook Erode: Five panchayats in Erode district would be made model panchayats with implementation of the total sanitation scheme and full coverage of toilets, District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) officials said. The panchayats are Pazhamangalam (Modakurichi Block) Varadhanallur (Bhavani Block), Karapalayam (Erode block), Pariyur (Gobichettipalayam) and Kullappanaickkenpalayam in T. N. Palayam Block. The DRDA officials said a campaign has been conducted on the harmful effects of open defecation and the need to construct...