-The Hindu The Centre has decided to scrap the system of caste-based wage payments in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme after complaints from State Governments. In an order dated November 1, the Finance Ministry directed the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to “revert to the previous system of generating single muster, single FTO [or Fund Transfer Order] and transferring money into a single NeFMS [or National Electronic...

-ThePrint.in The Modi government has questioned the methodology of the Global Hunger Index. But undernutrition is one of the leading factors of child mortality in India. In India, malnutrition is not uncommon even in economically well-off sections of the population. It must be understood that malnutrition is not just hunger. It also includes: * Undernutrition –which includes wasting (low weight for height), stunting (low height for age), and being underweight (low weight for...

-The Hindu Agriculture Insurance Company looks at technology-aided assessment methods Agriculture Insurance Company (AIC) of India Limited, the public sector organisation engaged in providing insurance cover for various crops, is in discussions with various commodity boards for exclusive crop-specific insurance schemes. A senior official of the Agriculture Insurance Company said that one of the goals of the company was to speed up settlement of insurance claims by farmers and the company was exploring...

-PTI/ The Hindu Nine low-pressure systems, including two cyclones, one deep depression and six lows, affected the country during the period. India recorded 125 extremely heavy rainfall events during September and October in 2021, the highest in five years, owing to the late withdrawal of the southwest monsoon and higher-than-normal low-pressure systems, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday. The country recorded 89 extremely heavy rainfall events in September against 61 in the...

-The Hindu COVID-19 or otherwise, educational institutions need to ensure that schoolchildren are nurtured and nourished With COVID-19 cases reducing in the country, several establishments, including schools, are opening again. While the reopening of all schools is on the anvil, the festive season ahead and the fact that children are not yet in the ambit of the vaccination drive are causing apprehension. We, as a society, must focus on the nutrition of...