-Livemint.com Govt plans to?help firms revamp manufacturing units,?refurbish machinery,?ensure subsidized power in bid to produce drugs such as penicillin at competitive rates New delhi: The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), during a meeting on Wednesday, urged pharma companies to strive for self-sufficiency in critical drugs like penicillin, rifampicin and insulin, in a sign of government concern over India’s dependence on Chinese imports. A large number of so-called active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), or bulk drugs,...

-The Telegraph New delhi: Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra has asked the National Human Rights Commission and State Human Rights Commissions to move appropriate courts if their directives relating to protection of human rights and award of compensations are not enforced by the authorities concerned. Addressing the 24th foundation day celebrations of the NHRC, the CJI lauded the sustained efforts made by the commission towards promotion and protection of human rights,...

-TheWire.in RTI activist Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh K. Batra says he was provided details on the appointment of information commissioners during the Manmohan Singh era, but under the Modi government, there has been a marked change. New delhi: Over the last 12 years, deliberate attempts have been made to dilute and lessen the effectiveness of the Right to Information Act, according to RTI activist Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh K. Batra. On the basis of the...

-PTI NEW delhi: Grappling with a "serious" hunger problem, India has been ranked 100th among 119 developing countries on the Global Hunger Index (GHI), behind North Korea, Bangladesh and even the besieged Iraq, but ahead of Pakistan, according to a report. India was ranked 97th last year. The country's hunger problem is driven by high child malnutrition, and underlines the need for stronger commitment to the social sector, the International Food Policy...

-The Times of India NEW delhi: India ranks the highest among the world's most disaster-prone countries for displacement of residents, with 23 lakh, on average, uprooted due to calamities such as floods, cyclones and earthquakes. A UN study, to be released on the International Day for Disaster Reduction on Friday, forecast a continued rise in homelessness. China, with annual average displacement of 13 lakh, ranks second. The estimation of displaced people in India may...