-PTI New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday regretted that non-BJP ruled States, including West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, have not certified even a single farmer for transfer of the first instalment of Rs.2,000 under the PM-KISAN scheme. In the interim Budget 2019-20, the Central government had announced the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme under which Rs.6,000 per year will be given in three instalments to 12 crore small...

-The Hindu Civil society groups to launch nationwide drive on March 23 In a bid to reclaim the poll narrative post-Pulwama, major civil society networks have joined hands to launch a nationwide campaign on March 23, the death anniversary of Bhagat Singh, which is commemorated as Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day. The “Desh Mera, Vote Mera, Mudda Mera” campaign will aim to move the focus away from nationalism to “real issues” such as...

-PTI NEW DELHI: The government is committed to maintaining the credibility of statistical organisations and the NSSO employment data would be released by month-end, a senior official said Monday as he dismissed concerns about alleged political interference in statistical data. The senior government official's comments come against the backdrop of as many as 108 economists and social scientists alleged "political interference" in statistical data in the country and called for the restoration...

-The Hindu Waste disposal from other toilets could turn into health and environmental nightmare New Delhi: Over the last year, a government advertisement featuring film actors Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar has been preaching the benefits of the “do gadde” or twin-pit latrines, which would create valuable farm manure from human excreta. “Shauchalaya ka ashirvad,” proclaims Mr. Kumar in the advertisement produced by the Centre’s flagship sanitation scheme Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. This month,...

-The Telegraph The CSE alleges that the surveyors did not visit all the cities they ranked Calcutta: The recently released annual survey report on the Swachh Bharat mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project, paints an “over-exaggerated” picture of its success and is riddled with “anomalies”, an environment think tank has claimed. The Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment has said the Swachh Survekshan 2019 was a rushed job, sped up to allow...