A study questions the efficacy of conditional cash transfer schemes in promoting the girl child. IN an attempt to address some of the serious imbalances in society, specifically the gender imbalance, the Central and State governments have embarked on several short-term conditional cash transfer (CCT) schemes in the past decade and a half. While the Central government is convinced about the efficacy of the schemes aimed at arresting the distorted sex...

One in 20 people aged 15-64 years, or 200 million are using illicit drugs worldwide annually. A global study on illicit drug use, to be published in the medical journal " Lancet" on Friday, says there are 125-203 million cannabis, 14-56 million amphetamine, 14-21 million cocaine and 12-21 million opioid users. In south and south-east Asia, an estimated 54 lakh people use cannabis, 28 lakh opioid and another four lakh cocaine. According to...

The popular impression is that starvation deaths happen mainly because the information about potential victims fails to reach authorities. But can it amount to murder if a starvation death is caused despite adequate warning? A recent Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) report tells us a story of corruption and negligence leading to starvation and death in Odisha. Worse still is the fact that many more villagers await the same fate...

-The Hindustan Times   The horror of infant deaths returned to haunt the Malda Medical College and Hospital on Friday when six babies died within a span of 10 hours. The condition of several other babies is stated to be critical. The Malda hospital made headlines at least twice this year —first, when nine babies died within 36 hours in November and the second time when 15 babies died within 72 hours...

-The Times of India Over 70% of India's population, or 100.41 crore face the risk of malaria infection. Around 31 crore, however, face the "highest risk" of getting infected by the vector-borne disease. According to the World Malaria report 2011, released by the World Health Organization (WHO), India has over 10 crore suspected malaria cases, but only 15.9 lakh could be confirmed last year. Of the confirmed cases, 8.3 lakh people were infected by...