-Scroll.in Heatwaves across many wheat-producing states have resulted in a dip in the production of the staple grain this year. India’s wheat production is likely to fall 3% to 106.41 million tonnes this year from last year’s output of 109.59 million tonnes, the Hindustan Times reported on Friday, citing the Union agriculture ministry’s third advance estimates of output of food grains. Severe heatwaves across many wheat-producing states have resulted in a dip in...

-Hindustan Times Women activists and experts from the region say that though the figures show a decline, they might not reflect the reality of the problem on the ground. The only exception was Assam where the figure increased from 24.5% in NFHS-4 to 32% in NFHS-5. Guwahati: Domestic violence faced by women seems to be declining in most parts of northeast India, except Assam, if figures of the recently released National Family...

-Hindustan Times According to the revised norms, coal mines with environmental clearances to expand by 40%, can now expand by up to 50% without any environment impact assessment or public consultation The Union environment ministry has relaxed the mandatory compliance norms for coal mining expansion projects citing higher demand for coal amid an ongoing power crisis -- a move that has been criticised by environmentalists, especially since the coal ministry has said...

-TheWire.in * According to the Union health ministry’s new Rural Health Statistics report, for 2020-2021, primary health centres have a surplus of doctors. * This could be true – although there are doubts about whether the report included the number of doctors on transitory, ad hoc appointments as well. * The report fails to capture the qualitative aspects of doctors’ availability at PHCs, including a hidden problem motivated by the absence of sufficient...

-Hindustan Times Temperatures in parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Vidarbha are likely to jump to 46-47 degrees Celsius due to the dry and hot westerly winds. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of a fresh heatwave spell in Delhi from Wednesday, when temperatures are expected to soar to 44 degrees Celsius. The heatwave is expected to last till May 15, the weather office, while a yellow alert was sounded for the...