-The Hindu The Government needs to reverse its neglect and policy missteps as key indicators show the sector has resilience The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic could be slowly receding with a decline in the official estimates of daily infections and deaths. The economy is also very gradually getting back to normal, with many States beginning to ease some of the restrictions imposed in their lockdowns. However, the challenge of an...

-The Hindu In seeking to pursue conflicting objectives, the policy architecture is complex and difficult to implement Contrary to popular perception, public policies are made without full knowledge or facts. More often than not, they embody assumptions arising from experience, an understanding of history, and present conditions. Considering the vast sea of unknowns surrounding COVID-19, it would be understandable to place a greater reliance on historical experience. Instead, India’s vaccine policy appears...

-ThePrint.in Chanduali produces the ‘healthier’ black rice. The produce is in high demand and is being exported to Australia and New Zealand. New Delhi: Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh is one of India’s four most progressed districts since the beginning of the Narendra Modi government’s Aspirational Districts Programme, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s latest appraisal report. Among the best practices that pushed Chandauli’s progress was the black rice experiment in the...

-NDTV.com The centre in its affidavit also said due to increased health expenses and low tax revenue it is beyond states' budget to pay compensation for lakhs of Covid victims. New Delhi: Families of Covid victims cannot be paid compensation as it applies to natural disasters only, the government told the Supreme Court, adding that states cannot afford to pay ₹ 4 lakh to every victim. In a 183-page affidavit filed late...

-Scroll.in What is needed is better public health communication. Along with an acute shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, with only 3.3% of its population fully vaccinated, India is also witnessing vaccine hesitancy. Anecdotal evidence suggests people, particularly in the rural and tribal areas, are not coming forward to take the vaccines. While it is imperative to address vaccine hesitancy, superficial attempts that fail to understand its structural causes could lead to more damage. As...