-The Hindu Modi government cracked down on critics: report. U.S.-based human rights watchdog Freedom House has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of “driving India toward authoritarianism” with a “hamfisted lockdown”, scapegoating of Muslims, and a crackdown on critics, and downgraded India’s status from ‘Free’ to ‘Partly Free’, in its annual report. “Under Modi, India appears to have abandoned its potential to serve as a global democratic leader, elevating narrow Hindu nationalist Interests...

-The Hindu A wide variety of spices and fruits grown in the coffee field diversifies the income of tribal farmers Not too long ago, Surya Chhautia was ready to give up on a 100-acre coffee plantation in Golur village in Odisha’s Koraput district. The plantation had been lying unattended, yielding little. But today, Chhautia, 39, from the Valmiki community, is leading a campaign to add another 100 acres to the plantation and to...

-The Indian Express The matter dates back to December last year, when several labourers held a protest outside the Pakur Division Forest Office demanding due wages Ranchi: TWO MONTHS after a Jharkhand forest range officer filed a public Interest litigation, seeking the High Court’s intervention in getting dues worth Rs 10 lakh released for labourers, the state government has issued a showcause notice to him asking why he should not be given...

-The Hindu No plan to merge the EPF with NPS, says Nirmala Sitharaman. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said there is no intent to discourage higher income earners from saving with the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and that she was open to reviewing the contribution limit of ₹2.5 lakh a year for tax-free Interest, imposed in the recent Union Budget. Reiterating that the EPF will continue to remain in its present form, the...

-The Indian Express A recent order, issued on January 15 asks all government entities, including publicly funded educational institutions and universities, to “seek approval” of the respective “administrative Secretary” for organizing any “online/virtual international conferences/ seminars/ training etc”. India’s two largest and oldest science academies have written to the Ministry of Education — and the third is considering joining in — to say that its recent order mandating institutions to seek Government...