-Press release by the Right to Food Campaign Secretariat dated February 23, 2022 * 66 percent respondents said that their income has decreased compared to the pre-pandemic period * 80 percent reported some form of food insecurity, 25 percent reported severe food insecurity * 41 percent said that nutritional quality of their diet deteriorated compared to the pre-pandemic period * 67 percent could not afford cooking gas in the month preceding the survey. * 45...

-The Hindu Govt. has said PMMVY will cover second child only when it is a girl The government’s recent announcement that the maternity benefit programme which provides ₹5,000 for first child will be extended to cover the second child only if it is a girl has met with sharp criticism from activists who have demanded that it be universalised. The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), launched in 2017, provides ₹5,000 for the...

-Pragativadi.com Bhubaneswar: In another significant step towards enhancing Nutritional Security, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra directed to promote and popularise jackfruit cultivation in Odisha. The Odisha Chief Secretary gave this direction while presiding over a high-level meeting on production of nutritious fruits held in virtual mode from Lok Seva Bhawan recently wherein Additional Chief Secretary Sanjeeb Chopra outlined the issues for discussion. Mahapatra said, “Jackfruit has high nutritional value, and the agro-climatic conditions...

-The Hindu CM’s economic advisory team studies model for replication. A sustainable natural farming system adopted in southern Rajasthan’s Banswara district, which has created new livelihood sources and brought food security to indigenous tribal communities, has impressed the Chief Minister’s Economic Transformation Advisory Council. The model is being considered for replication elsewhere in the State. A 20-member team of the Council visited Banswara district’s Amlipara village earlier this week to study the techniques...

Recent media reports point out that the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh is likely to get about Rs. 6,300 crore projects ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, including a Rs. 400 crore worth plant for the propulsion system of anti-tank guided missiles in Jhansi. The foundation was laid for the first project in the Jhansi node (related to the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor) on November 18, 2021. The two...