-Down to Earth Alcohol consumption among women aged 15 years and above highest in north-eastern states Five years since the sustainable development goals of the United Nations came into force, we ask ourselves: How is India and its states progressing towards the goals directly dealing with Tobacco (SDG 3.a) and alcohol (SDG 3.5) use? These are critical goals, not only because the aspects they deal with are well evidenced in proving detrimental to...

-The Telegraph Three states — Punjab, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh — have not accepted the proposals yet Bengal and Kerala have dropped their opposition to the Centre’s borrowing option to bridge the gap in the Goods and Services Tax revenue receipts. The two states have opted for the limited borrowing option under which the Centre will borrow funds and pass them on to the states but the debt will be recognised in the balance...

-The Hindu With reforms promoting innovation and lowering the cost of doing business, India is poised to attract the best investments Vietnam and Bangladesh are on a roll. While Bangladesh has become the second largest apparel exporter after China, Vietnam’s exports have grown by about 240% in the past eight years. What has helped them? And what can India learn from them? Two nations and their success stories An open trade policy, a less...

-The Hindu/ PTI The study noted that life expectancy in India has risen from 59.6 years in 1990 to 70.8 years in 2019, ranging from 77.3 years in Kerala to 66.9 years in Uttar Pradesh. India has gained more than a decade of life expectancy since 1990, but there are wide inequalities between States, according to a new study which assessed more than 286 causes of death and 369 diseases and injuries...

-The Indian Express Consumers today are willing to pay for organic produce. What is required is a policy framework to enable farmers to cater to this market. A few months back, I was at an artisanal products exhibition, where there was a stall showcasing organic leather bags. A buyer marvelled: “Wow, we have organic leather too?” The stall-person’s response was, “Sir, this is from animals that were fed only natural grass...