-TheWire.in The bench led by retired Justice Arun Mishra supported classification of the SCs as 'more backward' and 'backward', and preference to the more backward castes for reservation in appointments. However, different views on the matter have emerged. In State of Punjab and Others versus Davinder Singh and Others (August 27, 2020), the bench led by retired Justice Arun Mishra supported the classification of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) into “more backward” and...

-Down to Earth Government hasn’t learnt any lessons about a river known to change course itself, say environmentalists The Bihar government will try to divert the course of the mighty Kosi river in Bhagalpur district to save an archaeological site discovered recently, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said December 20, 2020. He made the announcement at Guwaradih village in Naugachhia sub-division of Bhagalpur district. Several priceless artefacts have been found at the site during...

-CaravanMagazine.in The South Asia Collective, a group of human-rights activists and organisations, recently published “The South Asia State of Minorities Report 2020: Minorities and Shrinking Civic Space” by the South Asia Collective. The report examines minority rights and the narrowing of space for human-rights defenders in light of increasing majoritarianism across the region. Its chapters, on Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, conclude that three basic freedoms—the constitutional...

-The Indian Express The state has posted high growth rates in the agricultural sector in recent years, but the growth has been skewed in favour of the state's irrigated parts and a small number of crops. Madhya Pradesh is primarily an agricultural state. One third of its gross state domestic product comes from this sector, half of the state’s area is used for cultivation, and 70 per cent of the total workers...

-The New Indian Express He added the union government was imposing these farm laws on farmers by advertising them as it is beneficial for their growth. TIRUCHY: The three farm refom laws enacted by the Union government were not just against farmers’ welfare, but also posed a challenge to food security,  noted agricultural economist Venkatesh Athreya has said. Taking part in an online event oganised by the Tamil Nadu Science Forum's Tiruchy unit...