-The Hindu “Orders have been issued to five public institutions including IIT-Madras, IIT-Kharagpur, DU and University of Hyderabad, declaring them as IoEs,” Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said. New Delhi: The Human Resource Development Ministry has awarded the status of Institute of Eminence to the IIT-Madras, the IIT-Kharagpur, Delhi University, Benares Hindu University and the University of Hyderabad, said an official statement. Four private universities — the Vellore Institute of Technology, Amrita...

Among the measures announced by the Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman on 23rd August, 2019 to arrest economic downturn, the following are noteworthy: * Allow Bharat Stage IV (BS-IV) vehicles (which are purchased till 31st March, 2020) to remain operational for the entire period of registration; * Government shall lift the ban on purchase of new vehicles for rePLAcing all old vehicles by its various departments; *...

-Hindustan Times The Constitution promises religion-neutral citizenship. NRC and its fallout could upend that The controversy unfolding in Assam over the National Register of Citizens (NRC), published on August 31, has brought to the fore important fault lines in the construction of citizenship in contemporary India. In particular, it PLAces the spotlight on the role of key institutional actors – the bureaucracy and judiciary – in adjudicating citizenship. Crucially, the implementation of...

-Down to Earth Another 30% of the county’s land is undergoing degradation. What does this mean for the country where more than 60% peopel depends on agriculture? Every year during the monsoon, Hemant Waman Chowre faces a peculiar situation. On the one hand, he hopes for good rainfall to water his crops but on the other, he is scared, for even a mild shower can destroy his saplings. Chowre is a 35-year-old farmer...

-Hindustan Times The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) said it will support the agitation being PLAnned by United Front of Banking Unions against the government’s decision to merge ten banks. Thiruvananthapuram: The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), labour wing of the RSS on Saturday criticised the bank merger PLAn announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying it was done without any study and it will only protect interests of corporate houses. “No serious...