-The Hindu A new provisional data from a survey conducted by the government and UNICEF shows The proportion of underweight children in India might have declined from 45.1 per cent in 2005-6 to a historic low of 30.7 per cent last year, new provisional data from a survey conducted by the government and UNICEF shows. Since 2005-6, there has been no new data on child and adult weights and heights, key in determining...

-The Hindu The Prime Minister's call for making India a manufacturing hub and creating jobs should boost small and medium enterprises as well Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ‘Make in India' campaign is creating waves both in India and abroad. Given the government's intention to boost domestic manufacturing and create new jobs, its proposal to introduce a new policy for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) deserves a closer look. While Mr. Modi's...

-Economic and Political Weekly Despite economic growth, government latrine construction, and increasing recognition among policymakers that open defecation constitutes a health and human capital crisis, it remains stubbornly widespread in rural India. We present evidence from new survey data collected in Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Many survey respondents' behaviour reveals a preference for open defecation: over 40% of households with a working latrine have at least one...

-The Statesman Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed anguish over suicides by farmers, whose condition has not improved despite the high rate of economic growth. The reason for this distressing state of affairs is that economic policies are badly crafted. The primary effort of the Government has been to increase agricultural production. The price factor is not taken into consideration, the perception being that the farmer will be better off...

-The Hindu Business Line India's experience will help it lead the charge on hunger and food security worldwide Can India defeat hunger and malnutrition? It's a question that's been asked many times and at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), we are confident that the answer is not only "yes it can", but that India, a founding member of FAO, can play a leading role in eradicating hunger worldwide. Following Independence...