-The Hindu     A computerised database of ration card holders and purchases is a safeguard against diversion of PDS supplies but the process can be disruptive for beneficiaries The government has initiated an interesting pilot for the Public Distribution System (PDS) in East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh. When cardholders go to buy their PDS rations, their ration card number and UID (Unique Identification) number are punched into an "e-Point of Sale" (ePOS) machine. If...

-The Hindu The demand for contraception is projected to grow worldwide from 900 million in 2010 to 962 million in 2015 because of an increased desire for modern family planning methods. Increased investment in family planning will be required to meet the needs of the 233 million women projected to have an unmet need for modern contraceptive methods by 2015, a new survey has suggested. Over 60 per cent of married women in...

-The Hindu Thousands of acres of uncultivable forested hills in Haryana, Gurgaon and Faridabad face the same prospect Gurgaon: Two decades ago when Sunil’s parents sold off 25 acres of their family’s share of land in the Mangar forests of Faridabad, they and other villagers thought the buyers were fools to buy it up because they were assured that they could continue to use it for grazing cattle and firewood. Today, 25-year-old...

-The Hindu "The main aim of collective farming is to discourage migration from villages and to provide food security to the families" Nearly 200 landless women and widows in eight districts of the State are working under the umbrella of Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective network to do farming and allied activities for the last three years. Interestingly, when vast tracts of lands are being sold off to commercial realtors in the name of...

-The Hindu Majority of patients are utilising public health facilities in the State for chronic disease treatment An evaluation has ranked Tamil Nadu at the top for implementation outcomes of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and described it as a benchmark for other States. Analysis of data also reveals that in physical infrastructure per 1 lakh population with respect to Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, and First Reference Units, Jammu and...