-The Indian Express Pune: A modest yet consistent decline in the infant mortality rate, especially in six problematic states, is one of the key features of the latest data from the Sample Registration System. Nationwide, the IMR has dropped by three points from 47 infant deaths per 1,000 live births to 44, according to the October 2012 SRS bulletin. It has dropped to 48 from 51 in rural areas , and...
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Whistleblower on Maharashtra dams in legal tangle -Hemali Chhapia
-The Times of India MUMBAI: An RTI activist from the city who unearthed information on the long-pending dam projects in Maharashtra has been served a notice asking him to prove that he is the owner of the single piece of land that he owns. Four months ago, Jeetendra Ghadge had filed an RTI on all the dam works across Maharashtra. The response he received was scandalous. Even as large parts of Maharashtra...
More »Deadly disease, desperate measures -Aarti Dhar
-The Hindu The government has approved a Rs. 4,038 crore programme to tackle the Japanese encephalitis and acute encephalitis syndrome in 60 priority districts With thousands of young lives being lost and an equal number of children rendered disabled for life, the government has prepared a comprehensive strategy to tackle Japanese encephalitis (JE) and acute encephalitis syndrome (AES). The dreaded disease has already spread to 17 States affecting 171 districts. With the Cabinet...
More »TEN-YEAR FREEZE ON GM TRIALS FAVOURED
Environmentalists, civil society groups and scientists working with marginal farmers have welcomed recommendation of the Supreme Court appointed Technical Expert Committee (TEC) placing a 10-year moratorium on field trials of GM crops in India. The TEC freeze advice includes field trials of Bt transgenics in all food crops which are used directly for human consumption. (See links below for the actual report and more details) The TEC, which was appointed in...
More »Not alms, but rights -Divya Trivedi
-The Hindu Delhi, Maharashtra and Rajasthan are taking steps to rewrite the unconstitutional law on beggary and decriminalise poverty According to the 1959 law on beggary, Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, anyone perceived as having “no visible means of subsistence” and “wandering about” can be branded a beggar and detained in certified institutions for a period of not less than one year and up to 10 years for second time offenders. For many...
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