-The Hindu Modi government cracked down on critics: report. U.S.-based human rights watchdog Freedom House has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of “driving India toward authoritarianism” with a “hamfisted lockdown”, scapegoating of Muslims, and a crackdown on critics, and downgraded India’s status from ‘Free’ to ‘Partly Free’, in its annual report. “Under Modi, India appears to have abandoned its potential to serve as a global democratic leader, elevating narrow Hindu nationalist interests...

-The Tribune Under the programme, 344 crore person-days employment generated so far this financial year; 1.69 crore new job cards New Delhi: The flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) emerged as a crucial source of employment to wage seekers in the country, especially the returnee migrant labourers, during the Covid-induced national lockdown. The highest ever 344 crore person-days employment has been generated so far this financial year (2020-21). It is...

-Article-14.com Instead of expensive, lawful compensation, about 10 states now offer farmers, landowners a shiny barter deal: Hand over your land, get a smaller plot when the area is ‘developed’. In Punjab, we investigate how developers get cheap land and owners wait years. Mohali: In 2010, vegetable vendor Surjeet Singh handed over the nine-acre farm he and his family owned to the Punjab government’s Greater Mohali Area Development Authority, which hoped to...

-The Hindu Focus on severe ailments, combination of diseases excluding many: experts The Union Health Ministry’s list of 20 comorbidities that make people in the 45-59 year age group eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine is seen by some medical professionals as too narrow. “The list of comorbidities provided by the Health Ministry is overly restrictive and complicated. Many conditions, including obesity, have been left out,” said Dr. Gagandeep Kang, Professor of Microbiology at...

-NDTV.com India is preparing to widen coverage beyond the 1.15 crore health and front-line workers immunised since January 16 starting Monday. New Delhi: Coronavirus vaccines will be capped at ₹ 250 per shot at private hospitals and health centres, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. Vaccines will be free in all government hospitals and centres. The government on Friday had said it will let people choose their coronavirus vaccination centres when the campaign...