-Newsclick.in The PAEG has said that workers are entitled to wages on a piece-rate, not time-rate, basis. The Peoples’ Action for Employment Guarantee (PAEG) has opposed the rural development ministry’s May 13 order discontinuing manual attendance at Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme worksites with more than 20 workers and replacing it with the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app. Terming the decision as a violation of law that will...

-The Hindu A multinational study including NIMS nephrologist concludes the finding Hyderabad: Farmers and daily wage labourers working in burned sugarcane could be at the risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology (CKDu). A multinational original research article, including a nephrologist from Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Telangana, India, has concluded that ‘human exposure to amorphous silica nanoparticles found in burned  sugarcane fields could have a participatory role...

-The Telegraph The media’s culpability is damaging India’s interests Media culpability can damage a country’s interests. Two recent instances will suffice to illustrate the point. The media’s role in recent events triggered by a Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson’s remarks on Prophet Mohammed has received less attention than it deserves. The focus has been on the offending spokesperson. There was mayhem across the land on account of a television news show. The tally...

-Down to Earth India’s plan to have electric scooters and bikes comprise 80% of its 2-wheeler market has hit a snag due to e-bikes bikes catching fire  Unsafe batteries and faulty pack design may have triggered fires in electric two-wheelers in India, the Centre for Fire Explosives and Environment Agency (CFEEA) reported last month. The centre was asked to probe into the circumstances of the fires, which have killed at least three persons...

The transport sector is important for the smooth functioning of an economy. The supply chains for various products and by-products (both domestically as well as internationally) can work efficiently only if the transportation of raw materials and inputs, and final goods and commodities takes place without disruption.   Due to economic growth, India’s annual CO2 (i.e., carbon dioxide) emission has expanded from 1.19 billion tonnes in 2005 to 2.44 billion tonnes...