-Hindustan Times Acting chairman PC Mohanan and external member J Meenakshi both had terms lasting until June 20 next year, according to the website of the National Statistical Commission. Mohanan was also an external member. With their departures, the commission now has no external members. Upset over the way the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government was perceived to have sidelined them and undermined their authority, the acting chairman and an external member...

-The Hindu Business Line Schemes that promote female employment are not enough. Childcare services can make a big difference, as in Brazil’s case There has been much clamour over the fall in female labour force participation rates (FLPRs) in recent years. The data from the Labour Bureau indicate that the FLPR for ages 15 and above has declined from 30 per cent in 2011-12 to 27.4 per cent in 2015-16. Additionally, estimates suggest...

-The Indian Express PISA — introduced in 2000 by OECD — tests the learning levels of 15-year-olds in reading, mathematics and science. The test is conducted every three years. CONFIRMING INDIA’s participation in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2021, the HRD Ministry signed an agreement with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) on Monday. PISA — introduced in 2000 by OECD — tests the learning levels of 15-year-olds...

-The Hindu The farming work is being taken up by the Kudumbashree’s Pulimath community Development society under the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana Thiruvananthapuram: A 13.5-acre ‘padasekharam’ in Plavodu ward of Pulimath grama panchayat that remained fallow for years is being transformed into a paddy field as part of the Kudumbashree District Mission’s fallow less-village activities. Taken up by the Kudumbashree’s Pulimath community Development society under the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana, the organic paddy...

-Economic and Political Weekly In India, despite provisions for tribal Development, 32% of tribal women are chronically undernourished, as opposed to 23% among those not belonging to tribal households.Large-scale surveys and routine monitoring are currently deficient in measuring the nutrition status of women, especially tribal women. This study was undertaken to analyse the reach of various health-related schemes for tribal women in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha. In the light of its...