-Down to Earth The rate at which informal housing is being destroyed probably far exceeds the rate at which formal housing is being constructed Troubled by the degradation of environment on and around railway tracks, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently directed Delhi government to relocate all illegal settlements along tracks in Delhi. The tribunal reasoned that the residents of these settlements practise open defecation and litter on the tracks. Housing of the...

-The Hindu Beef production uses more water and land and emits more greenhouse gases than other livestock A recent recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared red meat a carcinogen. Processed meats are the major culprit, and are a Class-1 carcinogen, which means that the evidence linking consumption to cancer is strong. Red meats are in a lower category, 2A, which means consumption is probably linked to cancer, specifically colorectal cancer....

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Jean Dreze, eminent economist and a former member of the National Advisory Council during the UPA regime, was dropped from a high profile economics conference organized by the finance ministry.&NBSp; Dreze, who has been critical of some of the measures of the NDA government, was invited to speak at the Delhi Economics Conclave on Friday.&NBSp; "This is the invitation I received and accepted some time ago. On...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: India ranks less corrupt than China for the first time in 18 years, anti-graft organisation Transparency International's annual survey says.&NBSp; The study that includes 175 countries and territories, India was ranked 85 while China came at 100, the Corruption Perceptions Index 2014 said.&NBSp; The Corruption Perceptions Index says that the countries and territories are ranked based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be. A...

-The Hindu With just 9 lakh more male voters than female voters in the four phases, women are finally in a position to swing the outcome. Fifty years ago, a political party with ambitions of winning in Bihar could safely ignore its women. Not only were far fewer women than men registered to vote, but even fewer actually showed up to vote. In 1967, for instance, female turnout was 41 per cent...