-The Telegraph Have assured Giriraj of transparency, says Bengal minister Calcutta: Bengal panchayat minister Pradip Majumdar has said that he assured his Union counterpart Giriraj Singh that enough initiatives had been taken in Bengal to ensure the 100 days’ job scheme has transparency while urging him to release funds under the scheme soon. “The Union minister told me the Centre wants transparency in the implementation of the scheme. I assured him that enough...

-The Hindu 65% of Indians and a third of the global population had higher PM2.5 exposures during the lockdown, largely attributed to biomass cooking activity During COVID-19 lockdowns, many countries observed historic improvements in ambient air quality. Our new study shows that despite the historic improvements in ambient air quality, PM2.5 exposures increased for 65% of Indians and a third of the global population during the lockdown, largely attributed to biomass cooking...

-The Hindu Any state intervention inspired by Islamophobic views will only help deepen majoritarianism The Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to undertake a survey of madrasas has raised serious concerns not just over the fate of these institutions but also on the future of Muslim identity. Other BJP-ruled States have also expressed concerns about madrasas. In May, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the word ‘madrasa’ should cease to exist. In September,...

-The Tribune Status of paddy straw management in Haryana was 'significantly better than that in Punjab,' Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday said that the incidents of stubble burning had started increasing rapidly, especially in Punjab, accusing the state government of not taking adequate steps to prevent them. Punjab “has not been able to take coordinated actions to contain stubble burning in the state” and coverage...

-The Hindu Since the rules have not been drafted, the Citizenship Amendment Act, passed in 2019, cannot be enforced   The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought an extension of another three months to frame the rules of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, a legislation that fast tracks the citizenship of undocumented persons of six non-Muslim communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Without the rules being framed, the Act cannot be...