-TheWire.in The budget for the scheme – which reduced from Rs 3 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 2 lakh in 2020-21 – reflected this decline in students availing of the scholarship. New Delhi: The number of students from minority communities availing the pre-matric scholarship scheme in Uttarakhand dropped by over 100 times between 2017-18 and 2020-21, revealed an RTI filed by the Times of India. The scheme, which is run by the minority...

-The Hindu Govt. has said PMMVY will cover second child only when it is a girl The government’s recent announcement that the maternity benefit programme which provides ₹5,000 for first child will be extended to cover the second child only if it is a girl has met with sharp criticism from activists who have demanded that it be universalised. The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), launched in 2017, provides ₹5,000 for the...

-Newsclick.in With the increasing political climate of stifled dialogue and dissent, a denial of information sought in the legitimate interest of the public, imposing fines, and subsequent ambiguity in the face of procedural safeguards is not just disheartening, but also dangerous. It is the year 2022, almost 17 years since the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) has been passed. Albeit, in a functional democracy, the emerging field realities would have...

-Pragativadi.com Bhubaneswar: In another significant step towards enhancing nutritional security, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra directed to promote and popularise jackfruit cultivation in Odisha. The Odisha Chief Secretary gave this direction while presiding over a high-level meeting on production of nutritious fruits held in virtual mode from Lok Seva Bhawan recently wherein Additional Chief Secretary Sanjeeb Chopra outlined the issues for discussion. Mahapatra said, “Jackfruit has high nutritional value, and the agro-climatic conditions...

-The Telegraph The FSSAI had set a Feb 5 deadline for public feedback on its proposed regulations that outline procedures THRough which GM foods can be imported in the country A citizen petitioner has THRough a legal notice asked India’s food authority to withdraw its draft rules on genetically modified foods, saying its proposals would breach environmental regulations and dilute food labelling requirements directed by the Supreme Court. The notice, sent on Friday...