-Counter Currents The Aadhaar scheme of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is to provide India's billion-plus people with a unique identification number. Enrolling into the scheme was and still is not mandatory, though it was mentioned that it would be difficult for people to Access public services in the absence of enrolment. The scheme requires individuals to provide their photograph, fingerprints and iris scan together with documentary personal information,...

-The Economic Times The agriculture ministry is seeking more budgetary support to increase farm sector growth rate to 4% per annum from 3.5% at present. "The allocation this year would be more as the country needs to produce more to provide food security to the nation," an agriculture ministry official said. "The scheme 'Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India' has done well with increased funds of Rs 1,000 crore. We expect more...

-The Times of India The government has diluted its stand on requiring consent from tribals before handing over their forestlands for projects in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on the Vedanta case. The changed policy cited in the affidavit of the government, contrary to existing regulations, could now make it easy for hundreds of other projects as well which require formal consent from tribals who have rights over forestlands under...

-Medianama.com Note: Following this report, other publications and civil society organizations are providing more context on this development. We’ve curating read-worthy updates here as a followup to this post. Important: CERT-IN’s Gulshan Rai has said that blocks have been implemented on the basis of an order issued by a Court in Gwalior, according to a report from Livemint. Hence, DoT is only implementing the Court’s instructions. Earlier today: India’s Department of Telecommunications yesterday...

-Pratirodh.com Speaking to an enthralled audience of 1,500 students and faculty at IIT (Delhi) , Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said that the idea of the National Food Security Bill was “a matter of appreciation and support”, and that the tabling of the Bill in Parliament was in itself a big achievement.  However, he also drew attention to various shortcomings of the Bill and argued for it to be strengthened, particularly in...