-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Increase in vehicular traffic and rampant encroachment of pavements have left very little space for pedestrians in the capital. Most of the government initiatives have been hanging fire while experts insist that the capital badly needs pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. Many Delhiites who attended the second Raahgiri Day on Sunday also said the government should plan urban infrastructure keeping pedestrians and cyclists in mind. "I would love to...

-The Economic Times The rationale for embedding nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programmes in a development agenda is compelling. And yet, strangely, it has been ignored. Planning and implementation of such programmes require collaborative, consistent and aligned effort across multiple sectors. Currently, we have a myopic vision to pursue narrow agendas. Transformational change requires tackling one of the most obdurate challenges: malnutrition. This blight has a large human impact and a larger economic impact...

-Down to Earth Civil society calls for pesticide-free, organic food under government programmes for children while Bihar focuses on building new kitchens in government schools A year after 23 school children in Bihar's Saran district died of insecticide poisoning after consuming food served under Mid Day Meal (MDM) Scheme, government agencies seem to have forgotten the serious concern over handling and banning of hazardous chemicals that the tragedy raised. The children of Dharmasati-Gandaman...

-The Times of India JAIPUR: The number of girls in the state's government schools is decreasing since last three years. For the 2013-14 period, in primary section, for every 100 boys, the ratio of girls enrolled is 87, said the District Information System for Education (DISE) survey. This is less than the national average of 93 girls for 100 boys. The state's performance is poorer compared to states like Bihar (98),...

-Press Information Bureau/ Ministry of HRD As per the District Information System for Education (DISE), the average annual drop-out rate among girl students at upper primary level has decreased to 4.01% in 2013-14 from 6.08% in 2011-12. The Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme provides for a multi-pronged approach to check drop out amongst girls through inter-alia, enhancing access to primary & upper primary schools by opening schools within one kilometer and three...