-The Hindu The densely populated slums on the hilly slopes of the Mumbai suburbs are sitting on deathtraps as the recent disaster in Chembur demonstrated. Alok Deshpande reports on the tragedy that took lives and swept away houses, once again highlighting the need for a comprehensive and sustainable plan for the ever-expanding city Subhash Ghashing, 21, took out his mobile phone and logged on to play an online warfare game at around...

-Down to Earth The disease has been on India’s radar since 2006; need to strengthen disease surveillance, train workforce and build robust laboratories    The death of an 11-year-old boy from Haryana at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences due to Avian influenza — the first such fatality in the country — has stressed the need to respond to zoonotic diseases in a timely manner.  Experts have flagged the emergence and re-emergence of...

-Firstpost.com For marginalised communities, modern education is a precious asset and a way for acquiring socio-economic mobility in an unequal society In the past few weeks, several students belonging to marginalised communities such as Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) have received offers to study in prestigious universities abroad including Royal Holloway London, Oxford University, SOAS, London, among others. However, privatisation in education has meant that the amount of wealth required for...

-The New Indian Express Looking after goats and backyard PoUltry, the trained women provide veterinary support in rural areas and become financially independent, by Mukesh Ranjan JHARKHAND: Domestic animals are a source of income in rural areas. But there aren't many vets in remote villages of Jharkhand. Meet Putul Tigga - 'Doctor Didi' for villagers in her Hochar village near the Jharkhand capital’s Ratu block - who looks after their goats and...

-The Hindu/ PTI This is the first time in the history of Jharkhand that the State is facing such a severe cyclonic storm. As storm 'Yaas' enters Jharkhand, the State remains on high alert and has evacuated about 12,000 people to safer zones while operations are still on to minimise damage from the cyclone that PoUnded neighbouring Odisha and West Bengal, officials said Wednesday. The storm has weakened into a deep depression, and...