-Livemint.com The BJP has done poorly against regional parties but the worst showing this election season was the Election Commission’s Never has analyzing election results seemed an exercise so disconnected from reality. Since the number of daily covid cases exploded three weeks ago, the conditions that led to Sunday’s outcomes have profoundly altered. Even before these elections became a pandemic spreading vector, this has been the most violent election season in recent times,...

-Livemint.com * The state has supplied oxygen to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, among others. * Dharmendra Pradhan is in touch with steel companies and has directed them to provide all support in terms of oxygen. The Odisha government on Sunday said that it has stepped up the supply of oxygen and has sent 3965 metric tonnes (MT) of medical oxygen in 10 days to...

-The Hindu Increasing the number of women recruits alone will not be enough; institutional changes are as important At least since 2009, when the Home Ministry set 33% as the target for women’s representation in the police, increasing women’s recruitment in the police force has been the goal of the Central and State governments. Yet, India persists with a male-dominated police force. In 2019, women comprised less than 10% of police personnel....

-The Hindu Business Line A model rehabilitation project for 100 families of rescued bonded labourers kicks off in Tiruvannamalai, granting them dignity of shelter and livelihood * Ready to be inaugurated in the next few weeks, the neat rows of green and white houses... carry the smell of fresh paint and brimming hope of its 564 residents * The colony is the Tamil Nadu government’s attempt at creating a model rehabilitation village that...

-The Hindu Notes several instances of govt pressure on media outlets Washington DC: In its 2020 Human Rights Report, the U.S. State Department said the harassment and detention of journalists critical of the (Indian) government in their reporting and on social media, has continued, although the government generally respected the freedom of expression. It also said government’s requests for user data from Internet companies had increased “dramatically.” The report, which is submitted each...