-The Indian Express Indian statistical system can withstand political pressures. Legislation and public scrutiny can strengthen it further. One unfortunate fallout of the recent controversy regarding the non-publication of the labour force survey report by the National Sample Survey Organisation has been the questions raised on the autonomy and independence of the Indian official statistical system. As reported in this newspaper, the possibility of junking the survey report in favour of...

-PTI Aims to cover 53 cities across India at an estimated cost of Rs 300-400 crore New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) plans to set up ‘Aadhaar Seva Kendras’, similar to the concept of Passport Seva Kendras, covering 53 cities across India at an estimated project cost of Rs 300-400 crore, official sources said. These proposed Aadhaar centres, meant to facilitate enrolment, updation and other activities, will be UIDAI’s own...

-PTI “It must be ensured that no children are deprived/denied of their due benefits or rights for want of Aadhaar,” said the circular New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has asserted that schools cannot refuse admission to students for lack of Aadhaar, and termed denial on such grounds as “invalid”. It has also exhorted schools to coordinate with local banks, Post Offices, State education department and district administration, to facilitate...

A recent report by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) enlightens one about the state of farmers' income and indebtedness in 2015-16. Entitled NABARD All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey 2016-17 – in short NAFIS 2016-17 – the report says that between 2012-13 and 2015-16 the average monthly income for agricultural households grew by around 39 percent. One may recall that the Key Indicators of Situation Assessment Survey...

-Newsclick.in As a result of the strike almost 1,29,500 Branch Post Offices have been reported as closed on May 22. In an unprecedented show of courage and unity, nearly three lakh Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) employees of the Postal Department went on an indefinite strike on May 22. Their grievances - long pending demands of the Gramin Dak Sevaks for regularization as government employees and the ill-implementation of the recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra...