-Newsclick.in Academics say the new draft framework of UGC does away with the necessity of master’s in arts and sciences and dilutes the undergraduate programme. After much speculations, University Grants Commission (UGC), the regulatory authority for central universities in the country, released its draft curriculum framework for four-year undergraduate programmes and the stakeholders can submit their comments till April 4, 2022. The final framework will be put in place to be taught...

-TheWire.in Contrary to the spirit of reform, Modi’s government has sought to arrogate to itself the power to transfer IAS and IPS officers at will, without the concurrence of state governments. On Sunday, at the first convocation ceremony of the Rashtriya Raksha University in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recommended several progressive steps towards better policing, including the need for a psychological approach for improvements in jail conditions, for personnel to study...

-The Wire Science There is reason to celebrate the drop of India’s maternal mortality rate: the decline is consistent and continuous, indicating that the reproductive health of India’s women is getting better. However, a closer look at the state-level MMR data reveals that the all-India three-year average of maternal deaths camouflages the performance of some states. We can predict that the Empowered Action Group states and Assam will have to redouble their...

-The Wire Science * Many regions in India, including the north and the centre, are currently reporting hotter weather thanks to heat waves. * The IMD has forecast ‘severe’ heat wave conditions for the next three days over parts of Rajasthan. Heat waves will also prevail over areas of Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Telangana. * According to the government, the IMD’s predictive power to forecast heatwaves has increased significantly over the years. Kochi: Many...

-Down to Earth Smaller cities of Bihar more polluted than the big cities in Delhi-NCR The average concentration of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) in the cities of eastern India was the same as that in the cities of Delhi-NCR in the winter of 2021-22, according to a new report.  Parsed regionally, eastern India was over three times as polluted as southern India and 22 per cent more polluted than northern India from October...