-Livemint.com Courts are finally protecting individual liberty in prohibition and beef ban cases The politics of alcohol consumption and cow slaughter have, of late, run roughshod over issues of constitutional law and philosophy. The Patna high court’s recent judgement on prohibition in Bihar—especially when read together with the Bombay high court’s earlier beef ban verdict—is a necessary redressal of the balance. These judgements are a nuanced look at how the relationship...

-PTI New Delhi: India was given the 143rd spot in 188 countries by a global health study, that released on Friday. The study cited various challenges, including mortality rates, malaria hygiene and air pollution for India’s abysmal ranking. “Despite rapid economic growth, India was ranked 143rd, below Comoros and Ghana,” the first annual assessment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) health performance published in the Lancet and launched at a special event at the...

-PTI NEW DELHI: A global study on a range of health indicators released on Thursday has ranked India 143rdamong 188 countries, citing various challenges, including mortality rates, malaria, hygiene and air pollution. "Despite rapid economic growth, India was ranked below Comoros and Ghana," the first annual assessment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) health performance published in medical journal Lancet and launched at a special event at the United Nations general assembly in...

-The Hindu For both categories, the 45-59 age group reported the highest proportion while the 15-29 reported the lowest West Bengal and Chhattisgarh had the highest proportions among people who reported to be smokers and alcohol drinkers respectively, data from the Sample Registration System (SRS) Baseline Survey 2014, released by the Registrar General of India show. A fourth of West Bengal men smoke and a third of Chhattisgarh men drink — the highest...

-The Tribune The Centre for Equity Studies, Delhi, conducted a survey to gauge the impact of the switch to cash transfers on the consumption patterns of the poor in Chandigarh. The preference for kind vis-a-vis cash transfers was recorded. Importantly, public opinion found no place in the decision- making process. Feroza Begum had to make a choice between food security and her children's education. Allow me to rephrase it: Feroza Begum had...