-The Hindu   The Election Commission has asked the Chief Electoral Officers of States and Union Territories to obtain the standard advertisement rate cards of television and radio channels and the print media six months before the Lok Sabha/Assembly elections so as to check ‘paid news' and the misuse of the media by political parties. In a recent letter to the CEOs, the Commission said this was to ensure uniformity while dealing with...

-Press Information Bureau   Government of India has taken up the computerization of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) in a phased manner to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the TPDS. In the first phase, the scheme on Computerization of TPDS Operations had been approved to be implemented on pilot basis in three districts each of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Delhi. A pilot scheme on Smart Card based delivery of essential...

-The United Nations   Several United Nations agencies and their partners are calling for greater cooperation to tackle the threat posed to the world’s forests from extreme weather events and natural disasters. Extreme weather events that greatly impact the health of forests include cyclones, floods, landslides, tornadoes, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions – so-called “abiotic disturbances,” according to a news release issued by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which is among 14...

-The Telegraph   Hospitals should inform patients regarding the radiation exposure they have undergone during CT scans and other such tests rather than keep them in the dark, health experts have said. Pointing out that radioactive elements emitted from radiation transmit highly-charged particles that can damage genetic blueprint of cells, they said such exposure causes major health problems, including cancer. “At times the cell can no longer function or repair itself and dies...

CGNet Swara in Chhattisgarh is a mobile radio platform that has helped bring tribal issues to national attention. MAHADEV SINGH, a Baiga tribal person, hails from a village situated atop a forested hill near Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. While most of the neighbouring villages are electrified and welfare schemes from the government reach them to an extent, Mahadev's village has lost out in this regard owing to its inaccessibility. Mahadev and his...