-ThePrint.in UGC Wednesday asked institutions to make courses available via govt platform SWAYAM. Academics question move, citing issues like need for classroom instruction & lack of infrastructure. New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked universities to offer up to 40 per cent of the courses in any programme online on SWAYAM, the central government’s Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) platform.  Academics have questioned this move, citing issues such as the need...

-Down to Earth Farmers in different states have protested against unavailability of fertilisers Global rise in fertiliser prices due to shortage has dealt a severe blow to farmers across India, which is the second-largest importer of fertilisers. Many states have seen cultivators erupting in protest, even as the Centre dismissed news of low availability of fertilisers. Dattaraye P Darekar from Vinchur village in Maharashtra is worried about his soybean and maize crops sown...

-The Hindu Business Line A holistic approach, involving panchayats, community organisations, civil society and industry, is the best way forward Science is certain that persistence of under-nutrition creates irreversible changes in the learning abilities of many infants, besides susceptibility to disease as they grow. The first thousand days are the key to reversing changes and ensuring proper nutritional development of every infant and mother. The Fifth National Family Health Survey 2019-21 (NFHS-5)...

-The Hindu The central argument of Almåsa et al., that this is seen in countries with weak institutions, is corroborated in India G.K. Chesterton, the writer, asserted in The Flying Inn (1914): “The rich are the scum of the earth in every country”. Perhaps not all but many. Our contention is that their selfishness, criminality and corruption aggravate inequality. Much experimental evidence corroborates this hypothesis.  Some insights A particularly compelling case for ‘Selfish Rich Inequality’...

-Article-14.com India’s national auditor says that Aadhaar, the national identity database and one of the world’s largest, is not finding and plugging leaks as it should. That is leading to rising frauds, hacks, data breaches and other misuse. Some of its failures have denied government services to the country’s most vulnerable. Experts advise restricting Aadhaar’s use and spread, but the government is not open to even addressing or fixing its problems. New...