-NDTV Our journey takes us to five villages in Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh, to meet families that do not have a toilet at home. Nearly 65 per cent of households in rural areas of the state are without toilets. Prema and Tanu belong to a Scheduled Caste family of daily wagers in Ahlada Kheda. Students of Class 9 and 10, they are exposed to children from different socioeconomic backgrounds at...

Following the recommendations of the Shanta Kumar Committee report on restructuring of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), there are signs that the Central Government is in a hurry to replace the Public Distribution System (PDS) with cash transfers. The Government's intention has been revealed in two official letters (one dated 10 February 2015 and another dated 11 February 2015) that were sent from the Joint Secretary at Department of...

-The Indian Express Recently, the Central government invited comments on its Draft National Health Policy (DNHP). The DNHP provides an exhaustive coverage of health issues and challenges facing this much neglected sector. Its major recommendations are making health a justiciable right and denial of care an offence; provisioning of health services through a strengthened public health delivery system in partnership with the private sector; enhancing public spending from the current level...

-Livemint.com A high level committee submitted its report last month on reforming FCI and has suggested widespread changes in not only FCI, but also in NFSA Shanta Kumar is no stranger to the issues confronting the Food Corporation of India (FCI). His first brush with the issues of food security and hunger was in November 2000, when as a minister for food and consumer affairs during the first National Democratic Alliance (NDA)...

-Livemint.com A panel set up by PM Narendra Modi last month urged the govt to lower the number of beneficiaries to 40% from 67% New Delhi: India will not scale down its multi-billion dollar food welfare programme that promises ultra-cheap rice and wheat to most of its people despite a high-level recommendation, a top government source said on Wednesday. A panel set up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month urged the...