There is some good news amid gloom! Preliminary findings of a survey in India as quoted by the Global Nutrition Report 2014 shows that prevalence of malnutrition among children aged below 5 years has come down between 2005-06 and 2013-14, even though we have a long way to go. (See links and bullet points below). The survey on malnutrition and hunger, called the Rapid Survey on Children (RSOC), was conducted after...

-The Indian Express Proposing a complete overhaul of the existing environmental governance framework, a government-appointed expert committee has recommended measures that would make it easier to set up industrial or infrastructure projects, but would also ensure that those who flout pollution norms or violate green laws are penalised heavily. Among the measures suggested by the four-member committee headed by former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanian are: creation of new institutions...

-The Hindu Business Line Report lauds rapid progress in health indicators, especially in Maharashtra India is making rapid strides in overcoming the problem of malnutrition, with the number of stunted children under the age of five declining by over 10 million, says a ‘Global Nutrition Report'. The "first-ever comprehensive narrative on global health and country-level progress toward reducing malnutrition", brought out by a consortium of nations, organisations, researchers, and academics, covers each of...

-Business Standard Total physical stock as on November 1 was 43 mt against the total covered storage capacity of 55 mt For the first time in many years, foodgrain stocks in the central pool are much less than the entire covered storage capacity available with the Food Corporation of India (FCI), thanks to some reduction in procurement and efficient management. This, as some officials said, effectively means the bulk of the rice procured...

-The Indian Express Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): Infant deaths are still stalking tribal hamlets in Kerala's Attappadi region, where the community's population has been falling alarmingly due to various factors. The recurring incidents of infant deaths have cast a shadow over the survival of tribals in Attappadi. A study had found that tribals formed 90 per cent of population in Attappadi in 1951, but the same was down to 42 per cent in...