-The Hindu Apex court says mitigating investigators need to be given access to the prisoners to dig out any circumstances which may help the court when it hears the appeal In a significant order, the Supreme Court has made it clear that the psychological evaluation of condemned prisoners by expert doctors, and access to them by mitigating investigators, are essential before the hearing begins on their appeals against the death penalty. A Bench...

-The Hindu Business Line A recent digital literacy programme in rural Uttar Pradesh shows that eliminating gender disparity in digital literacy can work wonders for the inclusion of women in the workforce  Kamla says she turned from helper to co-owner in her husband’s grocery shop the day he handed over his smARTphone to her. That day, like every other, he had kept shop till Kamla joined him after completing her morning household...

-The Hindu Proposal to go for Environment Ministry’s clearance; activists oppose The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) that functions under the Union Environment Ministry has yet again cleared the proposal for the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) mustard. The recommendation will now again go for the approval of the Environment Ministry. Though the GEAC had cleared the proposal in 2017, the Ministry had vetoed it and suggested that the GEAC hold...

-The Hindu In Punjab, a project to use of paddy straw to produce compressed bio gas is one that is replicable across India, and can transform the rural economy The beginnings of a renewable energy revolution rooted in agriculture are taking shape in India with the first bio-energy plant of a private company in Sangrur district of Punjab having commenced commercial operations on October 18. It will produce Compressed Bio Gas (CBG)...

-The Hindu Why did the Union Finance Minister urge industry giants to invest in manufacturing? Is private sector financing at an all-time low? Has government intervention to boost and spend aggressively on infrastructure come at an opportune time? The story so far: Last month, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asked captains of industry what was holding them back from investing in manufacturing. She likened industry to Lord Hanuman from the Ramayana by stating...