-The Hindu How the RightToRead programme focusses on making teachers an integral part of the learning process. The teacher crisis in India is well known but not spoken about as much. It is estimated our government schools are in need of 5.9 lakh primary-level teachers and 3.5 lakh upper primary-level teachers. By 2030, this number is projected to increase further. There is also the need for skills training so that the effectiveness...

-Outlook Freelance journalists, especially in small towns, are paying dearly for speaking up Ground Down * Uttar Pradesh: Jagendra Singh burnt in his own house ‘by policemen’ after he reported against the state’s PWD minister * Madhya Pradesh: Sandeep Kothari abducted after reporting on illegal mining. Burnt body found in Maharashtra * Uttar Pradesh: Haider Khan beaten, tied to a bike and dragged in Pilibhit after reporting on land-grabbing * J&K: Javed Malik assaulted by...

Did anyone ever tell you that there exists rural-urban, class as well as caste gap in households’ access to clean fuel for cooking and lighting? This has been revealed by a new report from the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO). (Please see the links below). The NSS 68th round report entitled Energy Sources of Indian Households for Cooking and Lighting has found that more than two-third of urban households used...

-Hindustan Times Ranchi: Education is perhaps the only tool that has the power to change society, says 28-year-old Supriya Kujur, a tribal woman from Jharkhand’s Gumla district. Having struggled to educate herself, Kujur, who now runs a school in her village, is bringing about the change in the neighbourhood. Kujur’s school has more children than the 50 students enrolled in the government school in her village. Currently 250 students attend her school — Sukru...

-FAO September’s post-2015 development agenda summit of heads of state and government may well attract global headlines this year, but much of the really significant work is being executed behind the scenes. As statisticians lock heads to come up with a workable indicator framework to measure and monitor the ambitious Agenda, Vikas Rawal, Associate Professor at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, describes the make-up...