The newly released World Bank report has estimated that the number of extremely poor people globally went up by nearly 71 million in the year 2020 as compared to 2019 — a 11 percent increase. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of poor swelled by around 56 million in India. It means that about 79 percent of the total people globally who slipped into poverty during the first year of...

-The Hindu September food inflation quickens sharply to 8.41%, the steepest level in 22 months; economists warn that the negative surprise could spur more rate increases from the Reserve Bank of India India’s retail inflation accelerated to 7.41% in September from 7% in August, with food price inflation surging sharply from 7.62% in August to 8.6% in September, the National Statistical Office (NSO) said on Wednesday. At 7.41%, September’s retail inflation level is...

-The Hindu Since NFHS-1, Madhya Pradesh has been struggling to tackle the problem Ever since a confidential report by the Madhya Pradesh Accountant-General came to light, about “large scale fraud/misappropriation etc. in the identification of beneficiaries, production, transportation, distribution and quality control of THR [Take Home Ration]”, the government has been facing severe criticism from the Opposition and activists. Last month, ahead of the translocation of eight cheetahs from Namibia to Kuno National...

-The Hindu Vacant posts, inadequate members take a toll on the transparency regime A good 17 years after India got the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the transparency regime in the country remains a mirage with nearly 3.15 lakh complaints or appeals pending with 26 information commissions across India. According to a report by the Satark Nagrik Sangathan, the backlog of appeals or complaints is steadily increasing in commissions every year. The number of...

-The Hindu Majority of the trade unions urge Bhupender Yadav to withdraw the four codes; outfits including the BMS demand that the Centre immediately convene the Indian Labour Conference In an apparent indication that the implementation of the four labour codes will be delayed further, majority of the Central Trade Unions, during their recent discussions with Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav, have urged the Centre to withdraw the four codes. Though Rashtriya...