-The Hindu Adilabad: Despite a drought in scorching Adilabad, the number of labourers seeking work under MGNREGA has plummeted. Only about 3.91 lakh labourers have reported for work so far this year against last year’s 5.12 lakh. “Delay in payments is perhaps the major reason for wage seekers to stay away from work,” said Durgam Praveen, supervising a group of workers in Inkarguda village. Durgam Balaraju agreed with him. “It is...

-The Hindu Handlooms are the one area where India leads the world in skill, creativity and expertise. The Handloom Reservation Act must be strengthened, not repealed Last month, Gajendra Singh, a farmer, hanged himself in New Delhi. His death attracted massive attention as it happened so publicly, in front of the hundreds of people gathered there for Aam Aadmi Party’s rally against the Land Acquisition Bill. Such attention is rare, given that...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The cup that cheers proved to be hotter than expected for the government today as it came under pressure to amend a central act to regularise wages of tea labourers. Congress MP from Assam Pankaj Bora demanded a timeframe within which the government would amend the Plantations Labour Act to ensure protection for tea garden workers. The question came up in the Rajya Sabha when labour and employment minister...

-The Times of India KOLKATA: In yet another legal blow to the Mamata Banerjee government, Calcutta high court on Tuesday upheld the compensation recommended by West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) to Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra, who was arrested in 2012 for forwarding an email joke on the chief minister. Justice Dipankar Datta also ordered a probe into the role of two police officers involved in the arrest of Mahapatra and...

-The Hindu Public health experts agree that the response to the pandemic depends on constant surveillance and monitoring the evolution of the viral strain A viral storm is raging across the country. More than 200 deaths due to Influenza A (H1N1), known as swine flu, have been recorded within a short period of over a month. Telangana, has the dubious distinction of recording over 50 deaths and more than 600 H1N1-positive cases...