-The Hindu     To screen developmental delays and disabilities in children THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The departments of Health and Social Justice are launching a major joint initiative to tackle childhood disabilities through the early identification of developmental delays and disabilities and early interventions so that these conditions do not become permanent or debilitating. District Early Intervention Centres (DEICs) will soon be opened in every district hospital and this will be the first point of screening for...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Recent government's decision to allow field trials of genetically modified (GM) food crops has come under severe attack of a parliamentary committee which criticized the environment minister M Veerappa Moily for giving his nod to this effect. The panel suggested that any test should not be undertaken till the Centre puts in place all regulatory, monitoring, oversight and surveillance structure. Referring to the recent decision of Moily...

-The Times of India CHANDIGARH: The Congress government in Haryana will soon have to return crores of rupees to the Centre after the parliamentary standing committee on agriculture has found truth in IAS officer Ashok Khemka's allegations that farmer subsidies had been misappropriated. The committee, headed by CPM MP Basudeb Acharia, has 31 MPs, including Jyoti Mirdha, sister-in-law of Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda. Deepender is son of Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Hooda...

-The Hindu The digital divide has gone out of favour, but millions of Indians not only remain illiterate, but are unable to access welfare schemes Is there a clash between social media and social movements? Or, can social media be used to promote social movements? As political parties intensify their use of social media and election fever heightens in a country where millions are illiterate and have little access to technology, these questions...

-Down to Earth   Data taken from 121 health surveys and 36 countries has been analysed Economic growth has little or no effect on the nutritional status of the world's poorest children, finds a study jointly conducted by various organisations. The study was based on child growth patterns in 36 developing countries and has found that economic growth in these countries was associated with small or no declines in stunting, underweight, and wasting-all signs...