-The Times of India CHENNAI: An average of seven people die in building collapses in the country every day, according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics. More than 20 people were killed in two different building collapses in New Delhi and Chennai on Saturday. In 2012, a total of 2,682 people died and 850 people were injured in 2,764 accident cases across the country, according to the NCRB data. Uttar Pradesh recorded the...

-Live Mint Gadkari said that sections of the law that deal with compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement would not be touched New Delhi: Rural development minister Nitin Gadkari indicated that the government may change some provisions of the farmer-friendly land acquisition law, introduced by the previous Congress party-led government, to address concerns of the industry such as the rising cost of acquiring land and procedural delays. The minister, however, said sections of the...

-The Business Standard   Food Corporation to restrict procurement of foodgrain from states announcing additional sops In a crackdown on the practice of states announcing bonuses on the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat and rice, the Centre has said Food Corporation of India (FCI) will restrict procurement of foodgrain from such states. This will be effective from the coming rice procurement (October 2014-September 2015) and wheat procurement (April 2015-March 2016) seasons. If states...

-The Times of India   One month after the horrific Badaun gang rape exposed how gravely at risk women and minors lacking domestic toilets are, India's sanitation scenario remains dire. Social worker and Padma Bhushan awardee ​Bindeshwar Pathak is founder of Sulabh Sanitation Movement, an organisation that helps build low-cost toilets across the country. Speaking with Fozia Yasin, Pathak discussed the socio-economic costs of lacking proper sanitation, practical ways to correct this...

-Down to Earth   Programmes launched to promote use of latrines have failed to influence sanitation behaviours of many people It would be wrong to assume that construction of a toilet in every house can curb the problem of open defecation in India. According to a new study, a significant number of people prefer to defecate in open despite having latrines in their houses. The study was conducted by the Research Institute for...