-The Times of India MUMBAI: The government has prematurely withdrawn a scheme under which shopkeepers would get an incentive of up to Rs 1,000 for accepting payments using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Another one providing customers cashbacks of up to Rs 500 has also been withdrawn and replaced with a scheme that provides rewards of up to Rs 150 but only for Bhim app users. The move to withdraw the incentives...

-Firstpost.com There is nothing to prevent the government from making Aadhaar mandatory for Ayushman Bharat. Even as the Courts reopened and news on the Aadhaar verdict is awaited, a Union health ministry notification issued on 4 July has confirmed that Aadhaar will be mandatory for the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ national health insurance scheme. While details of the scheme were out in June, the new notification also sets a deadline for enrolment for those...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: India's largest body of doctors claimed on Tuesday that the Centre's proposed National Health Protection Scheme that seeks to reimburse hospitals for cashless services to patients may "eliminate small and medium hospitals" through unrealistic reimbursement rates. The reimbursement rates proposed under the NHPS are "very low" and will make it "impractical" to provide quality services, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said, releasing figures from its own costing exercise...

-The Hindu It is time the government finds a sustainable solution to the malnutrition crisis Development is about expanding the capabilities of the disadvantaged, thereby improving their overall quality of life. Based on this understanding, Maharashtra, one of India’s richest States, is a classic case of a lack of development which is seen in its unacceptably high level of malnutrition among children in the tribal belts. While the State’s per capita income...

-Press release by the Right to Food Campaign, dated 21st June, 2018 Over the past ten months, at least 12 persons have succumbed to hunger in Jharkhand. Instead of taking action against functionaries whose lapses have led to these deaths and measures to improve the situation of food security in the state, Jharkhand government has denied hunger as the cause of any of these deaths and absolved itself of any blame....