KEY TRENDS   • During 2014-15, while procurement of foodgrains (rice and wheat) increased from 56.9 million tonnes to 60.2 million tonnes, offtake of foodgrains (rice and wheat) from the PDS decreased from 59.8 million tonnes to 55.9 million tonnes. Despite increased availability in the PDS and prevalence of high inflation in foodgrains, dependence on the PDS is reducing, suggesting that there may be issues of availability, timely availability and quality of the PDS foodgrains...

  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)  In order to address the problems of poverty, inequality and climate change, world leaders gathered at the United Nations in New York on 25 September, 2015 to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As per the United Nations Development Programme  India website (please click here to access), the 2030 Agenda that comprises 17  new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is expected to guide policy and funding for the next 15...

  Chittorgarh shows the way to affordable healthcare—generic drugs at cost price How Chittorgarh Did It * Orders passed saying doctors in government hospitals must prescribe generic medicines only * Strict checks to ensure only generic drugs are prescribed unless absolutely necessary; ad campaign too * Cooperative asked to procure generic medicines and supply them through a network of 16 stores * Tenders invited by the cooperative, most bids far lower than currently retailing. Pre-selected companies...

-NDTV/ Inputs from ANI With all public transport stopped, many left without food, shelter and income had been forced to undertake journeys for hundreds of kilometres on foot New Delhi: Amid the chaos, fear and uncertainty spreading across the country because of the COVID-19 outbreak, a distressing narrative emerged from Delhi on Saturday, when thousands of migrant workers, left without jobs, shelter or money after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 21-day nationwide lockdown,...

-The Hindu Spraying of disinfectants on human beings is ineffective and also harmful, it says in circular Chennai: The Directorate of Public Health (DPH) has issued a note calling into question the efficacy of sanitisation tunnels, and said no more such tunnels are to be installed in Tamil Nadu. With disinfection tunnels being set up in public places in some parts of the State, K. Kolandaswamy, director of public health, in a circular...