-The Indian Express The bench also issued directives for updating the drought management manual - published in 2009 — after taking into account rainfall deficit, timely declaration of drought and other factors. New Delhi: RULING THAT “the buck will eventually stop with the Government of India”, the Supreme Court Wednesday directed the Centre to consider drought as a disaster and constitute a national response force along with a consolidated fund within...

-Down to Earth It also says that the rate of rural Indian girls marrying before 18 years is twice that of their urban counterparts Child marriage is still common in India, with most Indian adolescents getting married before the age of 18, the latest report by prestigious medical journal The Lancet has revealed. The report, prepared by a Lancet “commission” made up of 30 experts from 14 countries, was released on May 11. The...

-Livemint.com Revision of drought management manual among slew of directions made by Supreme Court New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday hit the reset button on drought management, directing the government to abandon the existing system and evolve a transparent, rules-based framework. The new policy will prescribe a standard methodology and time-frame for declaring drought. The court also directed the Union government to set up a National Disaster Mitigation Fund within three...

-Orissa Post New Delhi: The Centre has extend mid-day meals (MDM) to schoolchildren in 27 drought-hit districts of Orissa during summer vacation.   The noon meal programme will be implemented in 27 districts of Orissa along with 201 districts of nine other states across the country. The Centre shall pay Rs. 468.89 crore for the MDM scheme and the remaining amount will be funded by the state governments. The Central move is expected...

-The Hindu Business Line Community kitchens forge unity in drought-hit villages It’s nearing 6 pm as we enter Kadesara Khurd, a dry drought-affected village in Lalitpur district of arid Bundelkhand. The main lane of the village wears a deserted look and several houses are padlocked. An emaciated cow is sprawled on the doorstep of one of the abandoned homes. “Over 200 people from this village have migrated to Bhopal, Delhi, Lucknow and...