-The Hindu Chennai: The Central government has recently set State-wise tentative targets for installation of grid-connected solar rooftop systems as part of its plan to achieve 40,000 MW of rooftop solar power by 2022. Under the plan, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are expected to add higher capacities at 4,700 MW and 4,300 MW, respectively. Tamil Nadu and Gujarat have been given a target of 3,500 MW and 3,200 MW, respectively. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,...

There is some positive news about national progress in sanitation and drinking water. A newly released report from UNICEF and WHO informs us that the country has witnessed 31 percent reduction in open defecation since 1990. This means 394 million Indians no more defecate in the open. The bad news, however, is that the progress in ‘population not practising open defecation’ among the poorest has been slower during the last 20...

-The Hindu New data for rural households revealed by the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) represent a grim reminder of the state of rural India. In over 90 per cent of households, the main earning member makes less than Rs. 10,000 a month. Over half the households are landless and a similar share of them rely on casual manual labour for the larger part of their income. Just 20 per...

-Hindustan Times The government has cleared a Rs 950-crore plan to untangle the Aadhaar-national population register jumble inherited from the UPA government. The census commissioner, tasked with creating NPR, will conduct a nationwide door-to-door survey over the next one year to link the population database with the 12-digit unique identification number, better known as Aadhaar. Home minister Rajnath Singh approved the plan in June-end, sources said. At each stop, enumerators — who will...

-IANS The Socio Economic and Caste Census of 2011 released on Friday reveals that over 1.8 lakh people from rural India are still engaged in manual scavenging despite the law prohibiting it. The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act of 2013 prohibits any employment as manual scavengers and also promotes rehabilitation of these workers and their families. About 1,80,657 people are engaged in the practice, according to the census...