-The Indian Express As we grapple with a health, economic and humanitarian crisis of epic proportions, the immediate need is to provide emergency relief to cushion the effects of the dual shocks of the virus and lockdown on informal workers. COVID-19 is causing havoc across the world, destroying both lives and livelihoods. Developing countries such as India are particularly vulnerable as their vast informal workforce, which has no labour, social or health...

-TheWire.in Income-earning opportunities for a vast majority of India's urban poor, over the next few months, look bleak. What can be done for them? Over the last two months, India has watched in horror as lakhs of migrant workers and their families – some on cycles, many more on foot – walked back hundreds of kilometres from their place of work to their towns and villages. A recent rapid sample survey by the...

-The Hindu Govt. ‘will expose’ negative surveys on conditions in India Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar, speaking on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, said his government “will expose” the surveys that portray a “bad picture about ‘Freedom of Press’ in India”. The Minister’s comments come in the backdrop of the latest survey of the global body, Reporters Without Borders, that shows India dropping two places on the global...

-TheWire.in Food rights campaigners urge Arvind Kejriwal to intervene, simplify e-coupon process, set up facilitation desks at all ration shops, food department offices. New Delhi: Despite the Delhi high court’s recent direction urging the Delhi government to ensure that all fair price shops operated during working hours and distributed public distribution system (PDS) grains, a survey has revealed that only 62% are functioning and only half of them are distributing grains. Following...

-The Indian Express The problems were flagged by personnel from Civil Lines police station, which surveyed two shelters at Majnu ka Tilla and the posh Civil Lines. More than 15 shelter homes were assessed by the police. New Delhi: “Fans not working and no power back-up; sanitisation of toilets rarely done; most migrants want to leave as their families cannot survive; rude behaviour of civil defence staff; food quality not good; no...