-Press Information Bureau/ Ministry of Human Resource Development The Education of All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report (GMR) 2015 states that India made marked progress, increasing its net enrolment ratio significantly as Gross National Product (GNP) per capita improved, suggesting a more equitable distribution of economic gains. The report states that there was particular improvement in reducing gender disparity in primary enrolment in South and West Asia, where the regional Gender Parity...

-The Telegraph Guwahati: The Assam Agricultural University is fighting for a geographical indications (GI) tag for a local variety of rice - joha - claiming it has better aroma than the famed Basmati. "The joha class of rice is unique in aroma and grain characteristics and distinct from other aromatic rice like Basmati in biochemical and other quality attributes. The uniqueness of this rice is mainly attributed to particular climatic conditions prevalent...

-The Indian Express Delhi’s slums house people whose work makes the lives of its better-off citizens easier but they themselves offer the worst of living conditions. Lakhs of people are denied the basic need for a toilet, breeding indignity and infections. The city’ urban shelter agency DUSIB’s report on how to make the city slum-free is a challenge for any government, especially one elected on a pro-poor agenda. The Indian Express...

-The Telegraph Ranchi: Over 300,000 children aged between six and 14 years are still out of school in Jharkhand, fresh data tabulated by the HRD department this year has revealed, prompting the state government to pursue its annual enrolment drive for students with renewed vigour and under a new name. Today, chief minister Raghubar Das relaunched the state's enrolment campaign, earlier called School Chale Hum Abhiyan, as Vidyalaya Chale, Chalayen Abhiyan with...

-DNA Broken promises apart, a regular income for farmers is extremely essential There is trouble on the farm front. With untimely rains accompanied by hailstorms and strong winds showing no signs of relenting, further deepening the prevailing agrarian crisis; and with the spate of farmer suicides on the rise, agriculture faces its worst-ever crisis. While the rising number of farmer suicides is only a reflection of how fragile the agrarian economy...