-PTI * There is a need for greater flexibility in the Indian education sector across all aspects, he said, calling the system 'very rigid' * He said private schools are 'terrible' from an outcome perspective Mumbai: Education outcomes in state-run schools can be better than the private ones, Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee said on Saturday as he lauded Delhi government schools for "outperforming" their private peers. He said state agencies have been "generous" with...

  Air quality in North India in general and Delhi National Capital Region (Delhi NCR) in particular plunged to its lowest point in recent years during October-November thanks to a variety of factors. Through media reports one comes to know that stubble burning (also called paddy straw burning/ crop residue burning) is chiefly responsible for the public health crisis in India's capital and its nearby regions. Data accessed from the website...

-The Telegraph Highest unemployment rate since August 2016 Mumbai: The gloom and doom scenario in India’s economy darkened a little more on Friday after an independent database company threw up an alarming statistic: the unemployment rate in October had surged to 8.48 per cent — the highest since August 2016.     The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) — a respected private researcher — said the unemployment rate in urban India was 8.89 per...

-The Hindu Business Line RCEP will jeopardise India’s seed industry With Brexit now a certainty, the days of liberal globalization are numbered. Open borders, FTAs and multilateral agreements are no longer in vogue. However, India seems inclined to ink the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), perhaps the world’s biggest free trade agreement. This seems an ill-advised step. India boosts of a vibrant seed sector with public institutions and a variety of private...

-The Hindu Business Line The RCEP agreement, if implemented, will allow other countries to dump excess seeds in the Indian market. The current 100% FDI policy also threatens seed sovereignty With a confirmed Brexit, the days of liberal globalisation are numbered. Open borders, FTAs and multilateral agreements find no takers in the White House either. Leaders Boris Johnson and Donald Trump have heralded a clear and blunt message of tariffs, conservative economics...