-Hindustan Times A corrosive culture distances the State from the public and legitimises demands for public ‘discipline’ to achieve policy goals Caught on a now viral video, ordering police to “break the heads” of farmer protesters, Haryana bureaucrat Ayush Sinha achieved notoriety last week. The INCident, coupled with the Haryana chief minister (CM)’s condemnation of the “choice of words” while insisting on “strictness” to maintain law and order, speaks volumes for how...

-The Hindu States seek transparency in GST data. GST collections have crossed ₹1 lakh crore in eleven of the last 12 months, with the government attributing the trend to a rapid economic recovery and improved compliance levels, but economists are unable to analyse these tax numbers as critical data points are no longer shared by the government. Until December 2020, when monthly GST collections were released, the official statement from the Finance Ministry...

Generally, economists refer to indicators like Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) and Unemployment Rate (UR) in order to assess the extent of joblessness and work related precarity at a particular period of time in a certain geographical area. However, there are other indicators too, which can help in understanding the job situation, livelihoods security and vulnerability of workers in a better way such as 'percentage distribution...

-Down to Earth Tanks have fallen into disrepair for lack of a clear community ownership; but farmers, mostly women, are now being paid for its upkeep There is a reason why tanks — water bodies that store rainwater for irrigation — are in abundance in Karnataka. The state does not have many rivers; nor does it receive a lot of rainfall.    Karnataka’s Kolar district is dotted by these tanks, which have assumed...

-NDTV.com With 186 people in hospital and a high number of affected children, the Firozabad administration has ordered closure of schools for Classes 1-8. Firozabad: The death of 53 people, INCluding 45 children, over the past 10 days in a suspected dengue outbreak in Firozabad has prompted the Uttar Pradesh government to set up an inquiry. At the Firozabad medical college, the scenes are horrifying: rows of children suffering from fever and their...