-The Wire Science There is reason to celebrate the drop of India’s maternal mortality rate: the decline is consistent and continuous, indicating that the reproductive health of India’s women is getting better. However, a closer look at the state-level MMR data reveals that the all-India three-year average of maternal deaths camouflages the performance of some states. We can predict that the Empowered Action Group states and Assam will have to redouble their...

-TheWire.in Contrary to the spirit of reform, Modi’s government has sought to arrogate to itself the power to transfer IAS and IPS officers at will, without the concurrence of state governments. On Sunday, at the first convocation ceremony of the Rashtriya Raksha University in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recommended several progressive steps towards better policing, including the need for a psychological approach for improvements in jail conditions, for personnel to study...

-Countercurrents.org The Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2019 was passed by both the houses of parliament in July 2019. The opposition parties had been arguing against the proposed changes in the Right to Information Act of 2005 through this amendment. The Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act, 2005) came in existence after a long movement against transparency and accountability in governance. It enabled all citizens of India the right to...

-Press statement by the National Coalition on the Education Emergency (NCEE) dated March 17, 2022 The NCEE conducted a rapid households survey of parents in Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu about their children's education during the pandemic and the main finding of this study is that poor parents are desperate about the education future of their children and fully conscious of the devastating toll that prolonged school closure has taken on...

-The Wire Science * Many regions in India, including the north and the centre, are currently reporting hotter weather thanks to heat waves. * The IMD has forecast ‘severe’ heat wave conditions for the next three days over parts of Rajasthan. Heat waves will also prevail over areas of Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Telangana. * According to the government, the IMD’s predictive power to forecast heatwaves has increased significantly over the years. Kochi: Many...