-The Telegraph New Delhi: Human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar has reportedly struck down a proposal to increase from a paltry Rs 1,000 a month the honorarium for cooks-cum-helpers preparing midday meals. A cabinet note moved recently seeking extension of the scheme for three years from 2017 is silent on any increase in the wage of the 25 lakh Workers, most of whom are single women or widows. A note prepared by officials...

-Livemint.com In the last three years, wages of agricultural labourers have increased only by 0.5% per year while those of non-agricultural Workers have declined by 0.25% per year, the worst so far in 30 years The agrarian economy continues to be plagued by falling output prices, declining incomes and increased variation in agricultural production pointing to a situation of uncertainty and vulnerability among most rural residents. This has created an unprecedented demand...

-Hindustan Times/ IANS/ PTI Protesters marching to close Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper plant tried to attack the district collector’s office in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin, say officials. New Delhi: Nine people died in a coastal city in southern Tamil Nadu on Tuesday when police fired at hundreds of protesters marching against a copper smelting plant tried to attack the district collector’s office, said officials. Protesters who blame the Vedanta group’s Sterlite plant for health problems...

-Hindustan Times In the last few days, fuel prices have touched record highs, with petrol costing Rs 76.87 per litre in Delhi and diesel Rs 68.08 a litre. In the last nine days, the price of petrol has risen by Rs 2.24 and diesel by Rs 2.15. New Delhi: Fuel prices are likely to be slashed by Rs 2 to Rs 4 in the next few days and a decision will...

-The Indian Express Women form 80 per cent of urban migrants, but public policy is blind to their concerns. A recent UN report says India is on the “brink of an urban revolution”, as its population in towns and cities are expected to reach 600 million by 2031. Fuelled by migration, megacities of India (Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata) will be among the largest urban concentrations in the world. Interestingly, the 2011 Census...