Places of worship outnumber educational institutions by two to one in Punjab and hospitals and dispensaries by more than four to one, census data released on Saturday has revealed. The data on houses, household amenities and assets released by Director, Census Operations, Seema Jain, on Saturday, shows the State's 2.77-crore population is served by 63,244 places of worship — but only 31,228 schools and colleges, both private and public.. Similarly, the...

-The Hindu The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the Principal Secretary, Primary Education Department, to be present in court on January 10 as it was not satisfied with the reply given by the government counsel regarding the action-taken report that was to be submitted to the court on providing toilets and drinking water facility in all government schools in the State. The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice...

In Gorakhpur, thousands have become a burden on their poor families Lack of rehabilitation facilities for thousands of children, disabled here after a Japanese encephalitis attack, has made life a burden for them. Already reeling under acute poverty, these children are now an economic burden on their families. The monthly allowance given by the Uttar Pradesh government to the disabled in 2005-06 was abruptly discontinued. “Life is worse than hell for my...

Young women are part of a campaign to bring much-needed social change and improve sanitation facilities If you don't have a toilet at home, you might not get a bride in India. In a silent revolution of sorts, Indian women across the country, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, have a single condition before they agree to a match – the groom must have a toilet in his home. The "No Toilet,...

The Indian economy loses nearly $54 billion (around Rs 24,000 crore) annually due to lack of toilets and poor hygiene, a World Bank study said on Monday. In a study 'Economic Impact of Inadequate Sanitation in India', conducted by its South Asia Water and Sanitation unit, the multilateral body said premature deaths, treatment for the sick and loss of productivity and revenue from tourism were the main factors behind the significant...