-Down to Earth If the world spends even a fraction of the predicted loss, it can reverse land degradation, which affects the poorest the most The world will lose $23 trillion by 2050 due to land degradation, warns a United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) review. In comparison, only US $4.6 trillion, a fraction of the predicted losses, will be required to rectify what is one of the biggest threats...

-The Hindu A report on the status of policing in India says that Sikhs, mainly in Punjab reported the highest levels of fear of the police among religious communities. Highlighting the politicisation of police, former Uttar Pradesh DGP Prakash Singh said during the Ayodhya agitation, he was removed as the police chief for a brief period and “the police was pulverised” as political masters didn’t want them to raise their little finger. The...

-The Hindu Two non-profit enterprises offer reusable cloth pads as a sustainable alternative to synthetic branded products Tiruchi: Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) is a hot topic these days. Whether in the form of stylishly advertised disposable sanitary products that vie with shampoos and vehicles for prime time viewership, or films on innovators who have created low-cost napkins, the taboo around the subject in India seems to be slowly disappearing — the operative...

-The Economic Times The World Bank will provide a USD 200 million loan to help the government achieve its goal of reducing stunting in children 0-6 years of age. NEW DELHI: The World Bank will provide a USD 200 million loan to help the government achieve its goal of reducing stunting in children 0-6 years of age from 38.4 per cent to 25 per cent by the year 2022, a finance ministry...

-The Hindu This is the first time that the Central government has laid down guidelines for labelling genetically modified food All packaged food with at least 5% content from genetically engineered sources need to be labelled so. Moreover, foods that exceed norms of sugar and fat should carry ‘red’ and ‘green’ labels specifying the extent to which they do so, according to draft regulations by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of...