-The Hindu However, it is among the highest consumers of smokeless forms of tobacco The preliminary findings from National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) released last week have given anti-tobacco campaigners a reason to smile. The survey has found that across the board, people — both men and women — in India are smoking less than they were a decade ago. Not just tobacco, even alcohol consumption among Indians has fallen. According to the...

-Livemint.com Haryana’s sex ratio at birth is at 903, a first in a decade, but the scheme has made no impact in certain parts Rohtak (Haryana): On 22 January last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (save the daughter, educate the daughter) campaign to improve India’s child sex ratio and promote gender equality. Appropriately enough, he flagged off the campaign in Panipat, Haryana, which had the worst...

-The Indian Express Bihar’s job reservation for women is a welcome gesture, but focus has to be on increasing opportunities and capabilities. The Bihar government’s move to reserve 35 per cent of all jobs in the state sector for women is an attempt to increase their presence in the workforce. However, with not many jobs being created in the public sector, the policy offers more symbolic value than radical content: Its...

-The Indian Express Delhi’s odd-even trial was brave, but policy needs good research at design stage. The trial period of the odd-even policy demonstrated a commendable willingness from the Delhi government to experiment with a policy option, and decide its future based on the evidence of impact, and acceptability from the residents of Delhi. Good evidence on the impact of any public policy requires a willingness to experiment, quality data, and a...

-The Indian Express In Haryana, the percentage of C-sec deliveries in the private sector is 25.3 per cent in both urban and rural areas. Data across 15 states and Union territories in the National Family Health Survey released recently show that a disproportionately high number of babies are delivered by Caesarean section in the private sector — mostly double that of the government sector. The figures range from 87.1 per cent of...