Contrary to the rising economic distress on the ground since the last few years, the official press release related to the fourth Annual Report on the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) at first glance seems to give a rosy picture about the employment situation in India.  Defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force, the unemployment rate in usual status (principal activity status + subsidiary economic activity status)...

-The Telegraph Number of girls born per 1,000 boys improves by three points from an Average 904 in 2017-19 to 907 in (the partly overlapping period of) 2018-20 India’s latest population sample registration survey has shown improvements in child mortality and the Average sex ratio at birth. But that ratio — a possible indicator of pre-natal sex determination and sex-selective abortions — has declined in 10 states, including Bengal. The Union health ministry, releasing...

-PTI/ NDTV.com The ministry also said that the recent changes in India's rice export rules "have helped keep a check on domestic prices" without reducing the availability for exports. New Delhi: Domestic rice prices are showing an upward trend and it "may continue to increase" due to low kharif production forecast and 11 per cent jump in export of non-basmati rice, the food ministry said today. The statement was made in the fact...

-The Hindu The study calls for raising it to 1.6% to 2.2% of GDP The government expenditure in India on early childhood education (ECE) for children between the age of three years and six years is a mere 0.1% of the GDP, and the Average spend per child of ₹8,297 per annum is at least a fourth of desired levels, according to a new study. The research conducted jointly by the Centre for...

-The Tribune Rewari: Farmers in the district have been forced to sell their bajra (millet) produce to private buyers at much below minimum support price (MSP). The Union Government has fixed Rs 2,350 per quintal as MSP for bajra but it is being bought between Rs 1,750 and Rs 1,825 per quintal. Though the arrival of 71,000 quintals bajra has so far been registered in the local grain market, the state government is...