-The Hindu NITI Aayog CEO says he did not say they were dragging down India’s growth Facing criticism over his comment that eastern States such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where the BJP is in power, are keeping India backward, Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog, on Tuesday issued a clarification on Twitter. “These States are backward on human Development Indicators because of legacy issues. This government’s...

-CaravanDaily.com NEW DELHI: The Niti Aayog, new avatar of the erstwhile Planning Commission, has released a ranking of 101 most underdeveloped districts in the country. Mewat, a Muslim-dominated district hardly two-hour drive from the national capital, is country’s most backward district. The Aayog on Wednesday released a baseline ranking of 101 districts on the basis of 49 indicators across five sectors – Health and Nutrition (30% weightage), Education (30%), Agriculture and Water...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Mewat in Haryana is the most backward district of the country followed by Asifabad (Telangana), Singrauli (MP), Kiphire (Nagaland) and Shrawasti (UP), reveals Niti Aayog's ranking of 101 aspirational (backward) districts. The Aayog released the baseline ranking for 101 aspirational districts based on 49 indicators across five sectors that includes health and nutrition (30% weightage), education (30%), agriculture and water resources (20%), financial inclusion and skill...

-Hindustan Times The study has analysed the inter-state differences in the quality of life and levels of living across the major states of India. A composite quality of life index has been prepared using 17 indicators, covering various aspects like income and consumption level, quality of housing, health status and educational attainment of the population. Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh is among the least developed states in terms of quality of life, says a...

-ThePrint.in Growing CAD, weak bank deposit growth, and fiscal deficit surpassing estimates cause for worry. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) recently released the Second Advance Estimates (2nd AE) for 2017-18, and the 3rd quarter GDP growth figures for October-December 2017. The new numbers have added some cheer to the disappointing state of affairs in the economy. The aggregate gross domestic product (GDP) registered a healthy growth of 7.2 per cent, while the gross...