Scientific knowledge has immensely helped in combating the dreadful coronavirus and its spread. Within a record short period of time, scientists (including virologists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, etc.) and their research outputs helped the commoners to learn more about the SARS-CoV-2 and how it spreads from one individual to the next one. Common people have now come to know how simple techniques and behavioural change like the wearing of N95 masks, maintaining...

-Frontline.TheHindu.com THE Narendra Modi government’s penchant for indulging in ambushes as a means of unleashing policies is now all too obvious. Policies whether relating to vaccines or privatisation of key economic entities have been marked by bizarre U-turns, abrupt changes or abandonment of previously announced approaches. The idea of policies seems to be to instil shock and awe, logic and rectitude be damned. A striking case in point is the government’s...

-TheWire.in Cooperatives are useful for political parties in two ways – they are a font of funds as well as handy for dispensing patronage.  A day before the reshuffle, Narendra Modi’s National Democratic Alliance government created a new Ministry of Cooperation. It would provide, said its statement, a separate administrative, legal and policy framework for strengthening the cooperative movement in India. A day later, it announced Union home minister Amit Shah would also head...

-The Hindu Fresh investments dip by 18% overall The second wave of COVID-19 and a steep decline in new investment projects from government agencies dented fresh investment plans in the economy by 18% in the first quarter of 2021-22, compared to the previous quarter. Despite the government’s stated push for capital spending to revive the economy, public infrastructure investments almost halved compared to the January-March quarter, bringing total outlays on new infrastructure plans...

-The Hindu Business Line Trade union seeks urgent measures to alleviate pain of joblessness, drastic fall in income Trade unions and industrial associations painted a grim picture of the unemployment scenario in the country at a recent meeting of the Labour Standing Committee. The trade unions demanded urgent measures such as direct cash transfers to address job loss and wage loss, while the representatives of industries demanded a re-look at the current...