-PTI As per World Bank statistics, of the 2.4 billion people who lack access to improved sanitation globally, more than 750 million live in India, with 80% living in rural areas. The World Bank has approved a $1.5 billion (nearly Rs 10,036.5 crore) loan for the ambitious Clean India campaign to support the Indian government in its efforts to ensure all citizens in rural areas have access to improved sanitation and...

-The Hindu For the population as a whole, non-communicable diseases including cancers and digestive disease are bigger killers while infant mortality and diarrhoeal disease are reducing in impact, the data shows. Suicide and road accidents are the leading cause of death among young women and men respectively, new data from the Registrar General of India shows. For the population as a whole, non-communicable diseases including cancers and digestive disease are bigger killers...

-The Times of India Lucknow: In a big surprise, women have won nearly 44% of the pradhan seats in panchayat polls across UP, challenging the myth that elections at the rural level in this state are essentially a male-dominated affair. This means that 11% of total winners are women who won the seats in the general category, over and above the 33% seats reserved for them. "The results are proof of women...

-The Hindu Business Line Indian corporates are just settling in to the regime of mandatory spends on CSR activities. The Centre has so far been lenient and has allowed them to spend less than the required amount as long as they disclose the reason. Many companies, which have fallen short, have listed a variety of reasons for this short-fall. This varies from the need for more time to identifying the right CSR...

-TheWire.in The judgment of the Supreme Court in the Raj Bala case deals a near fatal blow to the health of the Indian democracy. In essence, the court has held that those who have no formal education, those who have no “functioning toilet” and those who are in rural indebtedness cannot contest an election for the position of sarpanch. The judgment effectively disenfranchises – and it recognises this – 68% of Scheduled...