-Newsclick.in 'What we witnessed in the past seven months and experienced first-hand reminds us of the Emergency 46 years ago. Today, it is not just the farmers’ movement that is facing repression...' the farmers' memorandum read. In a spectacular show of strength, farmers’ organisations on Saturday protested in front of the houses of governors and observed 'Save Agriculture, Save Constitution Day' in more than 20 states and union territories against the central...

-GaonConnection.com For nearly a month, frontline health workers in the state are on an indefinite strike demanding a monthly pay hike, status of permanent workers and compensation for dead colleagues. More details here. Since June 1, thousands of ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers across Madhya Pradesh are on an indefinite strike demanding a hike in their monthly honorarium and status of permanent workers. Over 60,000 of these protesting female frontline workers...

-The Hindu Free vaccines for everyone, Supreme Court told. The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Saturday that it will require 186 to 188 crore vaccine doses to twice inoculate the 93 to 94 crore population aged above 18 years. It said 51.6 crore doses would be “made available” by July 31. “The total population of the county aged 18 and above is 93-94 crore. Administering two doses to these beneficiaries would require an...

-Newsclick.in Rice meant for the poor will be sold at subsidised rates to privately-owned ethanol distilleries. The industries will be given cheap loans and exempted from Environmental Clearances. Is the Modi government subsidising the rich at the cost of the poor by diverting foodgrains meant for the most impoverished sections of the population to private industries for producing alcohol for India’s ethanol blended petrol programme? There’s more: For manufacturing ethanol, foodgrains will not...

-IndiaSpend.com To fight hunger and distress due to the pandemic, India must universalise foodgrain distribution, expand the food basket in its rations scheme and provide cash transfers, activist Anjali Bhardwaj tells us in this interview Bengaluru: The pandemic-induced lockdowns have had a profound impact on livelihoods, affecting poor Indians' food intake, studies show. In October 2020, more than half the respondents of a Hunger Survey said their rice/wheat consumption had declined during...