-The Hindu ‘Ranking of BJP-ruled States not impressive’ Kolkata: West Bengal has become the best performing State both in terms of allotting jobs and utilising funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). According to statistics recently provided in Rajya Sabha by the Minister of State for Rural Development Ram Kripal Yadav, West Bengal generated more than 28.21 crore work days under the scheme so far in 2017-18 and spent...

-The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy Menstrual hygiene, an essential building block of a woman’s health, suffers wanton neglect in India’s public discourse. Though public policies are in place, the progress made by India’s government, private, and civil society SECtors is not in sync with the nation’s aspiration to be a global economic superpower. R. Sujatha, consultant on gender issues, and R. Gopinath, development economist, critique the steps taken,...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Mewat in Haryana is the most backward district of the country followed by Asifabad (Telangana), Singrauli (MP), Kiphire (Nagaland) and Shrawasti (UP), reveals Niti Aayog's ranking of 101 aspirational (backward) districts. The Aayog released the baseline ranking for 101 aspirational districts based on 49 indicators across five SECtors that includes health and nutrition (30% weightage), education (30%), agriculture and water resources (20%), financial inclusion and skill...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The concern over the silence of the Prime Minister on the dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has spread beyond Dalit MPs in the NDA. Junior human resource development minister and BJP ally Upendra Kushwaha on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the government should immediately move the Supreme Court against the order that prevents immediate arrest over complaints of...

-Hindustan Times The study has analysed the inter-state differences in the quality of life and levels of living across the major states of India. A composite quality of life index has been prepared using 17 indicators, covering various aspects like income and consumption level, quality of housing, health status and educational attainment of the population. Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh is among the least developed states in terms of quality of life, says a...