-Business Standard Cabinet note soon on Rs 1,800-cr investment over 5 years to boost sector, skills To push fish production, the Centre is formulating a programme to tap water reservoirs and neglected water bodies such as wetlands for breeding through modern technologies. The programme, part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Blue Revolution, entails Rs 1,800 crore over the next five years, much lower than what was envisaged by a working...

-Down to Earth India’s public spending on health is among the lowest in South East Asia and BRIC countries The burden of aspirations and expectations seems to be taking a toll on young India, especially males who succumb to suicidal deaths more than their female counterparts, according to the data published by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI). The data showed that over 67 per cent cases of suicidal deaths in...

-Economic and Political Weekly The draft National Health Policy 2015 is an improvement over its predecessors--the policies of 1984 and 2002. However, it also reveals several gaps, inconsistencies and blind spots which tend to dilute otherwise constructive proposals. The purpose of this article is to open up the draft to further public debate and comment. Forum for Medical Ethics Society (fmesmumbai@gmail.com) is a voluntary, non-profit organisation registered in Mumbai. The society was...

-Business Standard More money, better governance needed in public health care India's poor health outcomes are well known. Not only have China and Sri Lanka forged far ahead, in recent years Bangladesh and Nepal have overtaken India from behind. As things stand, in South Asia, India remains ahead of only Pakistan. The state of health is a reflection of both what is spent and how it is spent. The twin endeavours must...

-Business Standard Wants the draft National Health Policy revised yet again to include its ideas The NITI Aayog has objected to increasing investments and focusing on the public health sector as well as providing free drugs and diagnostics, as suggested in the updated draft National Health Policy of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Asking for a revision, it has recommended that the private sector and insurance-based models be given a greater role...