-The Hindu   Three farmers committed suicide every day from February to May this year Mumbai: Three farmers committed suicide every day from February to May this year, the Maharashtra Legislative Council was informed on Tuesday. State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Patangrao Kadam informed the council that 559 farmers had ended their lives in these four months. "Out of the total suicides, 85 were due to natural calamities such as hailstorms," Mr. Kadam said. The...

-The Hindu Business Line     A government run by a bevy of economists with no sense of the ground reality made mistakes. Some really big ones As the new government settles down to tackle the myriad problems confronting it, it's worth taking a quick glance at the principal reasons for the spectacular unravelling of the UPA-2 government. A defining characteristic of UPA-2 was that it was led by an economist and supported by prominent...

-Press Information Bureau (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)     Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, has asked for thorough streamlining of systems in the distribution of free generic drugs to government health institutions at all levels throughout the country. The Free Drug Programme's formal launch would be preceded by working out all logistical details with respect to procurement and distribution in consultation with the state governments. The...

-Down to Earth   HIV/AIDS, suicide among other top causes. The good news is that rates of cigarette smoking are decreasing in 10-19 years age group in some countries A report released by World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday says depression is the predominant cause of illness and disability for both boys and girls aged 10 to 19 years. The top three causes of global adolescent deaths are road traffic injuries, HIV/AIDS, and...

-The Hindu   When an electoral system structurally discriminates against particular categories such as persons with disabilities, it is tantamount to a failure of the democracy as a whole The citizens of India are in the process of casting their votes in what is being widely hailed as the largest election in human history. By sheer size, the 16th Lok Sabha elections signal a triumph not only for India, but for democratic exercises...