-The Hindu The Registrar-General of India (RGI) is preparing to conduct field trials of the first phase of the Census and the National Population Register (NPR) using a mobile application in all the States and Union Territories, a senior government official told The Hindu. The first phase involving house listing and housing census, along with updating the NPR, was scheduled from April 1 last year, but was postponed indefinitely due to the...

-The Hindu The restrictions would have made it impossible for many scientists to participate in online conferences. After a backlash from scientists, the government has withdrawn a controversial order that required scientists and researchers, among others, participating in online, international scientific seminars and conferences, to get prior clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). “In view of the easing of restrictions on travel and assembly of people guidelines issued regarding political clearance...

-PTI/ Business Standard The third pre-testing of the five surveys would be conducted in next ten days and then the studies would begin across the country by the Labour Bureau The Labour Bureau is all set to launch its five major surveys, including on migrant and domestic workers, across the country by April 1 as two out of three mandated pre-testings of the studies yielded "encouraging and positive results". The third pre-testing of...

-The Indian Express A recent order, issued on January 15 asks all government entities, including publicly funded educational institutions and universities, to “seek approval” of the respective “administrative Secretary” for organizing any “online/virtual international conferences/ seminars/ TRAIning etc”. India’s two largest and oldest science academies have written to the Ministry of Education — and the third is considering joining in — to say that its recent order mandating institutions to seek Government...

-The Hindu Allowing a scribe for candidate not largesse, says bench The government is not conferring a “largesse” on disabled people by facilitating a scribe during the course of the Civil Services Examination, the Supreme Court held in a judgment on Thursday. The Union Public Service Commission and the Department of Personnel and TRAIning (DoPT), by allowing a scribe, are not allowing them a “privilege”, a Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud declared...