-The Hindu The 21-day lockdown has suddenly left several thousand workers in the informal sector without jobs and any means of sustenance. It is around 3 p.m. Carrying luggage on their backs and wearing black masks, seven men, visibly fatigued, are signalled to stop by a policeman who hurriedly jumps out of his vehicle at Rajiv Chowk on the Delhi-Gurugram highway. The officer makes a few inquiries before letting them off, asking...

-The Indian Express The January 25 notice by the district administration mentioned 86 hectares and 259 landowners in the Yadav-dominated gram sabha, giving them 15 days to register objections. Officials said they had received close to 200 complaints, and the process to address them had started. Ayodhya: Nearly a month after the Ayodhya district administration put out a public notice saying close to 86 hectares would be acquired to build a Lord...

-Livemint.com * Despite the slowdown in rural demand, the spike in food prices is not showing any signs of cooling. Here’s why * This is the best time for the budget to address the volatility in food prices. Reliable market intelligence on crop production and timely advisories to farmers can help stabilize prices New Delhi: For more than five years now, the Indian countryside has only heard stories of anguish. Consecutive years of...

-The Hindu The government is showing utter lack of will despite the availability of Verma committee’s suggestions The horrific violence, gang rape and murder of the young woman veterinarian on a national highway close to Hyderabad has led to national outrage and protests in several States. Around the same time in Tonk, Rajasthan, a six-year-old child, returning home after having attended a school sports competition, went missing. Later, her bloodied body was...

-The Telegraph The government plans to frontload additional expenditures in the rural job scheme to boost demand in the rural economy New Delhi: Rural development schemes are likely to get more funds than allotted in the budget to boost consumption growth, which has fallen to a seven-year low in the villages. The Narendra Modi-government plans to frontload additional expenditure in the rural job scheme and highway construction projects to boost demand in the...