-The Telegraph New Delhi: A clutch of legal amendments the Narendra Modi government has introduced to allow corporate political donors to mask their contributions drags the world's largest democracy against global currents of rising transparency in electoral funding, analysts and activists have warned. From Brazil to Bangladesh, and Croatia to Cyprus, countries of diverse sizes and varied histories with democracy have over the past decade adopted laws and rules aimed at making...

-Down to Earth The study establishes relation between litchi consumption and encephalitis after conducting a hospital-based surveillance on 390 patients A recent study has linked occurrence of neurological disease—commonly known as encephalitis—to consumption of litchi in Muzaffarpur district in Bihar. Published in Lancet on March 31, the study recommends minimising Litchi consumption and also ensuring that the evening meal is not skipped as the latter modifies the effect of eating litchis on...

-The Times of India Carrying anti snake venom in ambulances can mean the difference between life and death for snake bite victims. The impact of this practical intervention was observed while transporting snake bite victims to health facilities in 108 emergency ambulance service across the country, which is free of cost. The first documentation of the life-saving innovation, wherein snake bite victims were administered anti-snake venom (ASV) in the emergency ambulance on...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Niti Aayog is throwing open its doors to private sector experts to join the government think tank at all levels, including at secretary rank. Unlike in the past, when the bureaucracy would walk into government organisations, Niti Aayog's policy will ensure that officers have to compete for jobs with applicants from the private sector or academic institutions. Currently, top jobs are virtually reserved for officers from...

-The Hindu Business Line Eleven reasons why the Aadhaar is not just non-smart but also insecure Aadhaar is insecure because it is based on biometrics. Biometrics is surveillance technology, a necessity for any State. However, surveillance is much like salt in cooking: essential in tiny quantities, but counterproductive even if slightly in excess. Biometrics should be used for targeted surveillance, but this technology should not be used in e-governance for the following...