-The Tribune Centre says the opposition by activists, experts and scientists to GM crops was ‘ideological’ rather than based on scientific rationale New Delhi: As activists express concern over possible environmental contamination due to genetically modified (GM) crops, the Supreme Court on Thursday sought to know from the Centre if there was any compelling reason for the environmental release of GM Mustard. “What we want to know is whether in Indian conditions is...

-Hindustan Times The BJP, on the other hand, has always claimed that Mandal-based parties such as the SP have only helped their own causes (for instance, the Yadavs in both Bihar and UP) in the name of social emancipation after capturing power. The Uttar Pradesh elections seem to be resurrecting the past memories of Mandal versus Kamandal contest only at the level of polemics. After chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)...

-Newsclick.in Just reopening schools won’t make an unequal education system more equal without public funding. It may speed up SARS-CoV-2 Mutations and risk another brutal Covid-19 wave. The Delhi government recently decided to reopen schools and other educational institutions after a long Covid-19 related shutdown. Previously, several other states had taken similar decisions. Such decisions have been backed by several experts and activists, principally on two grounds. Firstly, socially and economically disadvantaged...

-The Hindu They also highlight the need to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour and keep complacency at bay. The complacency in people’s behaviour early this year was one of the major reasons for the severe second COVID-19 wave, says experts. Also, with only 15 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated so far, “if the infection spreads uncontrollably, it will give the virus an opportunity to mutate more. These Mutations can change its...

-The Hindu General public should strictly follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour to ensure that places with common air conditioning and poor ventilation do not prove to be a super-spreader zone. The lingering second COVID-19 wave and the current weather — combination of high heat and humidity prevailing across some parts of India — has prompted doctors to caution the general public to strictly follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour to ensure that places with common...