-The Indian Express A state-wise break up of learning levels, however, indicates that the traditional BIMARU states have much to catch up even now compared to their southern counterparts. Even as independent surveys continue to point fingers at the Quality of Education being imparted in Indian schools, the National Council Of Educational Research And Training (NCERT) Friday released its National Achievement Survey (NAS) for Class III that indicated quite otherwise. Released...

-Live Mint The health insurance scheme was expanded to cover a larger number of the poor in June New Delhi: The government has asked the independent evaluation office (IEO) to study the government's health insurance scheme, its director general said on Wednesday. The IEO, announced in 2009, was inaugurated on Wednesday. The cabinet has decided the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (national health insurance scheme) will be evaluated by IEO, director general Ajay Chhibber...

-The Telegraph Ranchi: If in 2010, half of Jharkhand's Class V children in government schools could read Class II textbooks, only 34 fifth graders out of 100 could do so in 2013. But don't blame the child, blame the lack of teachers. The standard of Jharkhand's state-run schools is plummeting through the years, says Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2013, prepared by NGO Pratham, which annually undertakes an assessment of the...

-Outlook Sydney: The OECD today said India needs to address its infrastructure shortfalls and pervasive state control in business activities, among other things, to maintain robust growth. In its 'Going for Growth' report, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) called for structural policy reforms to boost growth. "To maintain robust growth, India needs to address its infrastructure shortfalls, pervasive state control in business activities and unequal access to quality education. "It also...

-The Hindustan Times Punjab: Having seen my uncle hard at work in a farm and his decision to quit school to till land, I have often felt that popular imagination tends to see farming as an esoteric profession and food production as something that will somehow magically take care of itself. A young man/woman (who has had secondary education) seems to consider agriculture as far too back-breaking and tedious to be taken...