-The Indian Express Insecurity, more than poverty or indebtedness, is the key economic issue that politicians must address If social inequality is the most acutely felt social problem in India, insecurity, more than poverty, is the most acutely felt economic problem. While most measures suggest that only around one-fifth of the population today is under the official poverty line, large sections of those even much above that line are subject to...

-The Telegraph Call to govt to act against covert promotion A paediatricians’ network has asked the government to act against violations of a law on baby food substitutes, claiming companies are organising “scientific sessions” to influence doctors into recommending their products. The Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India has asked the Union health ministry to authorise health officers or paediatricians in the district hospitals to look out for and file complaints against violations of...

-The Telegraph Many families depend on two entitlements for survival: social security pensions and rations from the public distribution system Particularly vulnerable tribal groups, earlier known as primitive tribal groups, are the sort of people you may never meet unless you take the trouble to look for them. In Jharkhand, they live in small hamlets scattered over the nooks and crannies of the state’s undulating forests. Without a purpose and some local...

-The Indian Express On Tuesday, the 49-year-old labourer from Odisha's Sundergarh district fled from a brick-making unit in Vishakapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh, after his employer allegedly threw acid on his face and neck during an altercation over wages. Bhubaneswar: In broken sentences and a feeble voice, Jaydev Chandnia says over the phone that he is shivering while still feeling that his body is on fire. On Tuesday, the 49-year-old labourer from...

-Scroll.in The ASHA unions in Bihar are demanding government employee status and a minimum wage. Accredited Social Health Activists or ASHA Workers in Bihar went on an indefinite strike from December 1 with a 12-point charter of demands. Bihar has 93,687 ASHA Workers – the second highest contingent of the one million ASHA Workers in India. They are the key link between the healthcare system and rural populations and have to perform...