-The Telegraph Report on sustainable development goals showed that no state fared well on gender equality All states and Union Territories, except for four, have fared poorly on gender equality indicators, a Niti Aayog report on India’s performance on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has shown. The UN defines Sustainable Development Goals as the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The global target year for reaching the...

-The Hindu Wholesale inflation at eight-month low Inflation in December eased at both the retail and wholesale levels with the consumer price index (CPI) coming in at an 18-month low and the wholesale price index (WPI) registering an eight-month low mainly due to falling Fuel prices, according to two separate releases by the government on Monday. Growth in the CPI stood at 2.19% in December, down from the 2.33% registered in November. The...

-Livemint.com Reeling under intense dry spell, state recorded 49% rain?deficit, says regional?disaster monitoring centre Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Wednesday declared 156 out of the 176 talukas of the state drought hit in the wake of a failed northeast monsoon. This has added to the growing call for the speedy implementation of the farm loan waiver to mitigate the deepening agrarian distress. The declaration comes months after several districts of the state...

-The Hindu They will soon become more than just a political liability The BJP’s poor performance in the recent Assembly elections underscores the extent of India’s agrarian distress and the political cost of failing to address it. The root cause of the Indian farmer’s woes is water shortage. Yet, barring policy interventions, this problem will only worsen — to the point that it will become far more serious than a mere political...

-The Hindu Business Line They not only provide a reliable supply of electricity, but will also help reduce the subsidy outgo of States Two-thirds of the total irrigated area in India uses groundwater pumping, powered by more than two crore electric and 75 lakh diesel pumps. Access to groundwater depends on reliable and affordable electricity supply. This is an important issue as it concerns livelihoods of the rural poor and food security...