-DNA India The Supreme Court on Wednesday is set to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by NGO 'Swaraj Abhiyan' seeking proper rehabilitation and financial assistance to the drought-affected people. In the previous hearing, the Apex Court had summoned nine state's Chief Secretaries in the case asking them to appear before it on April 26 in connection with the drought case. The court passed this order after hearing the plea filed by NGO 'Swaraj...

-The Financial Express Buoyed by the success of the Give-It-Up campaign that coaxed over 1 crore households to forgo the subsidy on cooking gas, the Centre has written to all state governments seeking their support for a similar scheme to cut its rising food subsidy bill. Sources told FE that the Union food ministry in a communication to states has said Give-it-Up should be promoted under the Targeted Public Distribution System...

-The Hindu In the last three years, important entitlements for children have been undermined by the Centre The recent notification of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, making Aadhaar compulsory for midday meals in government schools, has attracted the criticism it deserves. This notification serves no clear purpose other than to force children to get enrolled under Aadhaar. The government, unfortunately, managed to create the impression that the notification had been retracted,...

-Livemint.com Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh have started their own versions of Tamil Nadu’s Amma canteens that provide food at heavily subsidized rates New Delhi: The late J. Jayalalithaa’s government in Tamil Nadu had launched Amma Unavagam (Mother’s canteen) with much fanfare in 2013. Meant to provide wholesome food at heavily subsidized rates, the canteens which are run by the government but staffed by women from self-help groups have been a runaway...

-Livemint.com Lessons learnt from the Right to Food case can be applied for other social issues that end up at the Supreme Court’s doorstep every day New Delhi: In 2001, 47 tribals and Dalits were starved to death in south-eastern Rajasthan as the state reeled from its third consecutive year of drought. The tragedy occurred despite India’s warehouses were brimming with an excess of around 40 million tonnes of foodgrains that year. Weeks...