-Outlook India The Delhi Riot that seemed far from spontaneous saw almost three times the number of Muslim casualties compared to Hindus,’ says report An Amnesty International India field investigation has documented several human rights violations committed by the Delhi police during the February 2020 Delhi riots, which claimed at least 53 lives. “These violations include Delhi police officers indulging in violence with the rioters; torturing in custody; using excessive force on protesters;...

-Down to Earth All birds respond differently to different extreme weather events; long- and short-distance migration bird species are impacted differently by climate change The efforts of conservationists in protecting birds can now be more efficiently directed towards those species that are found to suffer more due to extreme weather events linked to climate change, showed a recent study. All birds respond differently to different extreme weather events. The impact of different species...

-Hindustan Times Universalise PDS, make it demand-driven; give more funds to states; and ramp up MGNREGS I pen this column with a depressing sense of deja vu. Back in late March as India went into lockdown, I wrote in these pages of the urgent need for the State to change the rules of the game, avoid red tape, improve Centre-state coordination and adapt agile administrative processes as it sought to provide relief...

-Down to Earth Highest rice acreage in six years, more farmers in farms, a bounty monsoon and an expected bumper harvest don't enthuse farmers as their earning dips   It is a piece of news that everybody would love to cheer about, except those who made this possible. The current kharif season is exceptional. In comparison to last year, over eight million more hectares of farms are under cultivation this season. There are more...

-Livemint.com * Across India, women borrowers are finding it tough to repay small loans. The next few months will be critical * Unless there is a sharp recovery, MFIs and banks (with micro-loan portfolios) will have to restructure or write off loans though the situation will not be clear until November NEW DELHI: Sarama Koyal does not have a roof over her head. After the Amphan super cyclone ravaged her home in South...