-The Hindu "At least 50 deaths of farmers either by suicide or cardiac arrest have been reported and government has done nothing about it." Brown, damaged wheat fields is all one gets to see in Sonepat district of Haryana. In at least six villages The Hindu surveyed, deaths of farmers, either by suicide or cardiac arrest, have occurred following the shock of crop loss due to unseasonal rain. Yet, last week in...

-Press Information Bureau/ Ministry of Human Resource Development The Education of All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report (GMR) 2015 states that India made marked progress, increasing its net enrolment ratio significantly as Gross National Product (GNP) per capita improved, suggesting a more equitable Distribution of economic gains. The report states that there was particular improvement in reducing gender disparity in primary enrolment in South and West Asia, where the regional Gender Parity...

-The Indian Express New Delhi: India is facing a debilitating shortage of health specialists, including in basic disciplines such as surgery, gynaecology and paediatrics, statistics compiled by the National Health Mission show. Rural community health centres face over 82 per cent shortage in surgeons, physicians and peadiatricians — 82.5%, 82.6% and 82.2% respectively — and have only 23.4 per cent of the obstetricians and gynaecologists they require. The story in urban centres is...

-Economic and Political Weekly Direct benefi t transfers in the form of cash cannot replace the supply of food through the public Distribution system. Though it is claimed otherwise, DBT does not address the problems of identifying the poor ("targeting") and DBT in place of the PDS will expose the vulnerable to additional price fluctuation. Further, if the PDS is dismantled, there will also be no need or incentive for procurement...

-The Hindu Various states are making quick progress in solar capacity addition Chennai: Though Gujarat and Rajasthan are at the forefront of solar power development in the country, other states are also making rapid progress in harnessing energy from sun. Presently, Gujarat and Rajasthan account for over 50 per cent of India’s grid-connected solar energy capacity additions. However, states such as Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are also catching up fast, supported by...