-Down to Earth The fact 2021 was among the world’s hottest years despite these cooling forces shows just how strong the long-term warming trend is Well, it’s official: 2021 was one of the planet’s seven hottest years since records began, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) declared this week. The year was about 1.11℃ above pre-industrial levels — the seventh year in a row that the average global temperature rise edged over 1℃. The...

-Hindustan Times The study has been authored by Ashish Jhalani, co-author of the State of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) in India’ report released by the PM's Economic Advisory Council. Let us first recognise that there is a fundamental challenge in early education years, that has been severely underestimated in the education planning strategy of India. Perhaps that is why the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council released a report titled The State of...

In the previous news alert, we looked at the under-nutrition problem in the Bundelkhand region in terms of 3 indicators -- proportion of children under 5 years who are stunted (height-for-age); proportion of children under 5 years who are wasted (weight-for-height); and proportion of children under 5 years who are underweight (weight-for-age). However, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data also indicates that severe under-nutrition like severe wasting and anaemia among...

-Down to Earth The COVID-19 pandemic prevented a full and balanced recovery of labour markets in 2021 Global unemployment is projected to stand at 207 million in 2022. This is 21 million more than in 2019 before the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic began, according to the ILO World Employment and Social Outlook – Trends 2022. Global working hours in 2022 will be almost two per cent below their pre-pandemic level — that...

-The Hindu Business Line Supply from UP prevents price surge Potato production in West Bengal is likely to be impacted this year on the back of delayed sowing and untimely rains. Though it may be difficult to estimate the exact impact on production, experts believe that the crop is likely to be lower as compared to last year. The State had witnessed nearly 16 per cent rise in production at 110 lakh...