-Newsclick.in Large-scale privatisation of the vaccination programme is happening, cutting of low-paying sections of the population. Yet, other discrepancies remain, calling for an audit by CAG. India is facing an acute vaccine shortage. The impression that generally prevails is that this shortage is because while production capacity is slow to increase, there has been a sudden spurt in vaccine demand since vaccination is now open for the 18-44 years age group in...

-Livemint.com * Centre to take over vaccination programme from states, provide free jabs to Indians aged 18 years and above * PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana extended till November this year, to benefit 80 crore Indians Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a slew of decisions on Monday regarding the vaccination drive against coronavirus. The Prime Minister announced that central government will take back control of the vaccination programme from states and provide free...

-Down to Earth The proposed 804 mega watt Jangi Thopan Powari hydroelectricity project over the Satluj threatens life, livelihood and ecology in the basin The people of Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, are fighting another battle besides the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic — saving their rivers and forests threatened by a hydroelectric project. The residents of the valley have been protesting against the proposed 804 mega watt Jangi Thopan Powari hydroelectricity project (JTP HEP)...

-Newsclick.in Construction, manufacturing, hospitality sectors most affected. Over 1.7 crore daily wage workers lose jobs. Over 2.5 crore existing jobs have been lost between January and May 2021. The bulk of these losses – about 2.2 crore – have occurred in April and May, the period in which India was engulfed in a brutal second wave of COVID-19, leading to state-level lockdowns of varying degrees. These chilling figures emerge from the latest...

-The Hindu In the pandemic, there aren’t enough buyers and government procurement is delayed For the second year running, forest dwellers across Odisha have been deprived of the right price for the Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) gathered by them. With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting local economies across the country, the NTFP market in Odisha has also suffered due to the absence of adequate buyers this year. “Last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic surfaced, forest...