Although there is sufficient data and evidence available in the public domain to argue whether there has been halving of poverty between 1990 and 2015, the same cannot be said with conviction about the halving of hunger—one of the targets set under the erstwhile Millennium Development Goals framework (replaced recently by SDGs). This is because the recently released data by the National Family Health Survey-4 (conducted in 2015-16) and the...

-Livemint.com The claims that Right to Education is forcing the closure of thousands of schools is false or ludicrously exaggerated Most of us who work with school education have been completely mystified by media reports and related opinion pieces which claim that thousands of private schools are being shut down because of the Right to Education Act (RTE). We (Azim Premji Foundation) conducted a field study to investigate this matter. Getting valid and...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Government scientists have released to industry a portable instrument that they say can detect within 45 seconds some of the commonest contaminants used to adulterate milk in the country. Developed at the Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute in Pilani, Rajasthan, the instrument automatically scans milk samples for detergent, urea, soap, soda and salt without the need to employ technicians. Milk samples are now routinely tested through a range of...

-The Indian Express Telecom regulator says no service provider can offer, charge discriminatory tariffs for data services on basis of content Putting an end to the controversy over differential pricing on the Internet, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Monday ruled that differential pricing for data services will not be allowed in the country. “No service provider shall offer or charge discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of...

-The Indian Express Among other crimes, robbery and cheating with 22 cases each are among the most common. New Delhi: Sexual offences form 13 per cent, or roughly one-eighth, of the crimes committed against foreigners in India while thefts are four times higher, government data reveal. The latest case of sexual offence being probed is the alleged stripping and assault of a Tanzanian student in Bengaluru. Last year, National Crime Records Bureau...