-The Hindu Surakhpur, declared ‘fully digital payment enabled’ by government, rues low literacy, poor connectivity Around 10 days ago, a Team of Delhi government officials handed over two PoS (point of sale) machines to kirana (grocery) store owners Surat Singh and Ramesh Kumar, both residents of Surakhpur village in Najafgarh, on the Delhi-Haryana border. The officials taught the two how to use the machines. On Wednesday, when The Hindu visited the village, where...

-The Indian Express CBSE’s decision to make Class X board exam compulsory upturns a modest reform of school education Once upon a time, when India was a colony, the matriculation exam marked the end of “high” school education. It served as the gateway for higher education at a college. The Latin root of the verb ‘to matriculate’ means getting enlisted in a college. Not everybody could aspire for higher education, but even...

-The Hindu Business Line Experts concerned over low allocations for key schemes New Delhi: It’s like demonetisation didn’t happen at all, activists and economists exclaim. Budget 2017-18, coming right after the demonetisation move, had raised hopes of greater allocations for social sectors — what with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of Sabka saath sabka vikaas. Yet, there is all-round disappointment. “It is quite extraordinary. Post demonetisation, this is when you needed substantial moves for...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Economic Survey has recommended that biometric tracking of Teachers' attendance be introduced in government primary schools and the data monitored by parents and local communities. The Survey has cited the low-learning outcome of children in government schools and linked it to Teacher absenteeism and shortage of professionally qualified Teachers. According to the UNESCO- EFA (Education For All) Monitoring Report for 2014, Teacher absenteeism in India varies between 15...

-ANI Ludhiana (Punjab): "My father was under debt, no leader came for help," says a Tear eyed Gursevak Singh, the son of a Punjab farmer who committed suicide. Gursevak's father, who was drenched in debt, committed suicide after his crops got damaged. "My father committed suicide, he was under debt and succumbing to the tension of repaying the loan he took the decision of ending his life. No leader helped us," he says. Ever...