-BBC A survey done earlier this year shows that public facilities in the poorest regions of India have steadily expanded, improving the lives of people there, writes development economist Jean Dreze. Once upon a time, not so long ago, public facilities in the poorest districts of India were few and far between. Most people were left to their own devices and they lived in the shadow of hunger, insecurity and exploitation, with no...

-Newsclick.in How malnutrition and death have gripped the tribals of Attappadi in Kerala after land alienation in 1996. Neha Dixit reports. Last month, E. K. Bhushan, Kerala Chief Secretary informed the tribal people of Attappadi Hills that they are now entitled to restore 530 hectares of land in the area. This is out of the roughly 4370 hectares of land that was alienated from the tribals after the Tribal Land Amendment Act...

-Down to Earth Union health ministry says 17 other deaths of infants reported in Haryana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu were not linked to five-in-one vaccine The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has admitted that the pentavalent vaccine has caused at least three infant deaths in Tamil Nadu since December 2011 when the vaccine was launched in the state. The admission follows a Right To Information query after vaccine-related deaths were...

-The Hindu There is no disparagement of subsidies in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh because those who attack the social welfare policies of the Congress regard them as examples of good governance by a party of the Right Three propositions dominate explanations of the Congress party's rout, the Bharatiya Janata Party's impressive victory and the Aam Aadmi Party's stunning success in Delhi in the recent Assembly elections. One, that there is a strong...

-Press Information Bureau As on 30.09.2013, 13.40 lakh Anganwadi and mini-Anganwadi Centres (AWCs/ mini-AWCs) are functioning out of 13.75 lakh sanctioned AWCs/ mini-AWCs in the country. State-wise details are as given below. The aims and objectives of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme including AWCs are: i) to improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group 0-6 years; ii) to lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of...