-Down to Earth   Most severely and consistently excluded groups are women, Adivasis, Muslims and the disabled, report confirms A recent report by a Delhi NGO undermines government claims on reaching welfare schemes to the needy and disadvantaged sections of society. The report, titled The India Exclusion Report 2013-14, says the government has failed miserably in providing equal access to public goods to the most disadvantaged groups. The report, prepared by Delhi-based Centre for...

-The Navhind Times   THAT climate will remain in a state of flux is a given. The fallout of global warming will be periodic extreme heat and drought, as was experienced by the United States and some other food-exporting countries in 2012, sending food prices close to record levels. At the same time, many countries, including China and India will experience heavy rains and floods from time to time, damaging food production. Even...

-The Hindu   The children, including girls, pursue studies in local government schools and work in the industry in summer BRAHMAPURAM (KRISHNA, Andhra Pradesh): Scores of children below the age group of 14 are hired by the Kalamkari production units in Pedana as daily wage workers. The children, including girls, who are pursuing studies in local government schools and working in the industry in summer, contribute their mite to the family's income. "I get...

-The Hindu   The official sanitation policy has been uniquely focussed on building toilets. But the connection between good health and using toilets has not yet been made When the road in front of his house is finally laid, in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, Ramesh Kumar hopes he will get permission to set up a small shop in a corner of his compound. Another corner will have a temple, as his father wants. To...

-The Indian Express   Affected children are largely from around a litchi plantation in Malda West Bengal: In the last three days, nine babies aged three to five have died in Malda district after showing symptoms that suggested acute encephalitis syndrome. A seasonal disease for years in UP's Gorakhpur and Bihar's Muzaffarpur, AES appears to have broken out in West Bengal for the first time, alarming scientists who are wondering if the children...