It is hard for the media to ignore the findings of global Human Development Report (HDR) whenever a newer and updated version is released. Every time when the HDR is published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), media persons and commentators tend to compare the performance of their respective countries with that of performance in previous years as also with respect to the relative performance of other nations. One of...

-The Telegraph The economy remains vulnerable to headwinds The shortfall in economic growth in the April-June quarter against rosier predictions of most, including the central bank, came as a surprise.Few anticipated the gap between expected and actual performance would be as much (2.5-3 percentage points). It has prompted a tide of downward revisions for the whole year; these follow a previous round, two months ago, due to inflation, higher interest rates, and...

-The Hindu In four States, auditors’ wages delayed as funds from Centre are yet to arrive The Union Rural Development Ministry (MoRD) has told States that failure to carry out social audit of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) will invite action, including withholding of funds. However, it is the Centre that bears the administrative cost of these Social Audit Units, and inordinate delay in the release of funds...

-The Telegraph Sanjay Mohanty, professor of population health at International Institute of Population Sciences, says steady fall in total health spending in proportion to GDP is 'worrying' India’s per capita healthcare expenditure at constant prices has remained near-stagnant despite increases in government spending and decreases in household spending on healthcare over a six-year period, the latest national health accounts report has shown. India’s per capita total healthcare expenditure has changed little over that...

-Hindustan Times On Monday, the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) held a meeting with stakeholders of these villages to discuss the policy provisions before it is notified. The Centre is in the process of finalising its Green Development Area (GDA) policy to allow planned development, including the permission to construct farmhouses and educational institutions, and conduct commercial activities in 88 greenbelt areas and villages with a large number of farmhouses. The...