-TheWire.in The making of the Union Budget has been a far too secretive and hidden exercise. Social sector expenditure and allocations related to policy announcements should be matters of open ongoing debate. On December 20, 2017, a group of 60 eminent economists sent an open letter to the finance minister stating: “We are writing to draw your attention to two urgent priorities for the forthcoming budget.” The first was to increase the central...
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First blind IFS officer among 'first ladies' lauded by President -Ambika Pandit
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Beno Zephine, India's first 100% visually-impaired person to join the Indian Foreign Service in 2015, was among 111 women felicitated by President Ram Nath Kovind for their remarkable journey as "first ladies" in their respective fields. Currently serving in the Indian embassy in Paris, this young woman's story showcases how will power coupled with support at home can help overcome any physical disability. In the absence...
More »Mobile screens worse than TV, says study -GS Mudur
-The Telegraph New Delhi: Schoolchildren who spend seven hours or more a week gazing into computers or mobile phone screens appear to be at highest risk of worsening myopia, India's largest study to progressively track children's eyesight has suggested. The study by ophthalmologists at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has found that six hours or more per day of reading or writing or four hours or more...
More »Govt's ambitious fertilizer subsidy reform plan -R Sree Ram
-Livemint.com Overall, while the government is trying to reform the fertilizer subsidy payment mechanism, the challenge is to make sure the new system works before implementation Union minister for chemicals and fertilizers Ananth Kumar’s ambitious plan to clear the fertilizer subsidy backlog before the implementation of the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme next fiscal year (FY19) has come as surprise to many. The huge subsidy backlog (estimated at Rs35,000 crore as of FY17)...
More »Judges lose 55% of court time in admin work, hearings take a beating: Study -Pradeep Thakur
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Up to 55% of court time is spent by judges each day on tasks such as reissuing summons, fixing dates for future hearings and case administration decisions rather than judicial functions such as hearings, a nationwide survey conducted by Bengaluru-based Daksh has found. The study analysed over 91,000 court hearings involving over 6,000 cases across the country and argued that even without more manpower, the judiciary...
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