-Down to Earth Participants voice concern on drought, farmers' suicide and water conservation, among other issues The three-day long Kisan Swaraj Sammelan held in Hyderabad (April 1 to 3) urged for the enactment of a Farmers’ Income Guarantee Act to ensure dignified earning levels for agricultural households among a host of other things. Organised by the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture, a group comprising 400 diverse organisations from across India, the...

-The Hindu Group of joint secretaries will evolve strategies for greater visible impact. Ahead of its second anniversary next month, the NDA Government has constituted a group of joint secretaries from select ministries to evolve strategies to put more substance and speed into the action plans for flagship programmes such as Digital India, Swachh Bharat, Skill India and Make in India. The final presentations will be made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Union health ministry will on Thursday launch the third phase of a vaccination campaign to cover an estimated 36 lakh children in 216 districts across India who have never received vaccines or remain partially immunised. The campaign designed to immunise children against seven vaccine-preventable diseases - diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis-B - will focus on areas dogged by irregular or poor routine immunisation...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: In order to give women wider choice, the government has introduced a mix of birth-control measures, including injectable contraceptives and new oral pills, under the national family planning programme, health minister J P Nadda has said. Age-old condom brand 'Nirodh' has been given a makeover with a new logo and communication strategy, led by Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador, to give a boost...

-The Hindu Stand-up India will help create 2.5 lakh entrepreneurs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday unveiled the ‘Stand-up India’ scheme to promote entrepreneurship among women, scheduled castes and tribes by enabling them secure easier loans and said this could be an engine of job creation for the youth. “Dalits and poor people, if given an opportunity, can bring in various reforms in the country. That’s my vision for Stand-up India…This scheme is...