-Hindustan Times New Delhi: Almost 80% of government-run hospitals in Delhi, which together have a daily footfall of about 50,000, do not have basic fire safety measures in place. OverCrowding, lack of trained manpower and poor maintenance are other problems that put the city’s hospitals at risk. At least 20 people were killed and scores injured in a fire that broke out at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on Monday night. “In government...

-The Hindu The overCrowding of prisons in the country is a long-standing problem that is seldom addressed effectively. Even though the Supreme Court has, from time to time, raised the issue of prison reforms in general, and that of overCrowding in particular, measures to decongest jails have been sporadic and half-hearted. The issue is once again in the news, with the Supreme Court bemoaning that prisons in Delhi and nine States...

-Hindustan Times New Delhi: The government has refused to divulge information about riot control weapons and ammunition used to disperse protesters, saying this was “sensitive defence information” and making it public could jeopardise the country’s security. A Delhi-based rights activist Venkatesh Nayak had filed a right to information (RTI) request asking the Ordnance Factory Board for details on the sale of weapons and ammunition, particularly pellet shotguns that have injured thousands of...

-The Hindu The pursuit of full employment of labour cannot primarily rely on domestic private investment, much less FDI. Only public investment will steady us in the long run. We are increasingly told that the inflow of capital — particularly the foreign direct investment (FDI) variety — increases employment levels and contributes to economic growth. In a rare interview given to The Wall Street Journal in May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reinforced...

-The Indian Express In 2014 too, 557 policemen were injured in lathicharges, compared to 262 civilians. New Delhi: WHENEVER POLICE have lathicharged rioters or protesters, the number of injured has tended to be higher on their side — nearly twice as much, according to the latest crime data by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). In 327 lathicharges in 2015, 696 police personnel were injured to 298 civilians. In 2014 too, 557 policemen were injured in...