-The Indian Express Is the government postponing the use of the Rs 35,000-crore allocated for vaccine development in the current Budget? Has it been shy in using its good offices with the US to intercede on behalf of the country’s vaccine manufacturing companies? This time, last year, India was under a lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised address during which he issued several messages of caution. He talked...

-The Indian Express Building infrastructure and services, including pre-primary education, maternity, disability and sickness benefits, and long-term care, will help ensure that India’s post-COVID recovery is equitable and gender-inclusive. The Cambridge Dictionary defines “infrastructure” as “the basic systems and services that are needed in order to support an economy.” Traditionally, infrastructure has been understood and interpreted to mean physical, immovable assets, primarily in the energy, transport, telecommunications and water sectors. Over the last...

-The Hindu The court cites media reports of the COVID crisis in hospitals and lists matter for urgent hearing on Monday morning Ahmedabad: Citing media reports of shortage of beds, oxygen supply, testing facilities and medicines amid the pandemic and rising cases and deaths, the Gujarat High Court late on Sunday took suo motu cognisance of the worsening COVID-19 situation and listed the matter for urgent hearing on Monday morning. Chief Justice Vikram...

-GaonConnection.com Latest data by the Union Jal Shakti Ministry shows that only 39.8% anganwadis are covered with tap water connections. Despite poor infrastructure and lack of basic facilities, such as tap water, the Budget for anganwadis is reduced. To provide tap water supply to rural households, including anganwadis and rural schools, the Narendra Modi government launched its flagship scheme of Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019. The aim is to cover all rural...

-TheWire.in Going forward, processed foods, with both low and high levels of secondary processing, offers significant potential for non-farm jobs, and equally makes agriculture remunerative. India takes pride in producing surplus food-grains, oilseeds, spices, milk, fruits and vegetables. Many a time, due to a large supply of agricultural produce, market prices crash, leaving the farmers out in the cold. Low bargaining power, lack of storage infrastructure and inadequate cold storage facilities in the...