The Union government told the Rajya Sabha on Monday (July 31) that it has no plans to empower the National Statistical Commission (NSC) using a legislation. Minister of state for statistics and programme implementation Rao Inderjit Singh was answering a question on whether the government is planning to empower the NSC by insulating the selection process from political bias. Singh responded that said the chairman and members of the NSC are selected...

Maharashtra farmers had taken out a foot march from Nashik to Mumbai in protest over onion prices. On Saturday one 58 year old farmer who had attended the foot march died at Shahapur police station in Thane district, informed the All India Kisan Sabha state general secretary Ajit Nawale. The Maharashtra farmers announced on Saturday that they have called off the march following assurance from the state government and the centre....

The Wire In a country like India where inequality is so prominent, a development scheme can come a cropper if it lacks inclusivity. The Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) was launched in 1993 to enable parliamentarians to directly contribute towards meeting the development demands of their constituency or state. Despite many deficiencies plaguing the scheme, it stood out mainly on account of the principles of social justice and its...

Budget 2023's allocations for most critical social security schemes have declined in real terms, says economist Jean Dreze - IndiaSpend The last full Union budget before the next general elections in 2024, which was presented on February 1, gets "a big zero" in terms of welfare spending from economist and social activist Jean Dreze. Budget allocations for most critical social security schemes have declined in real terms, Dreze said. The Union government withdrew...

-The Telegraph Slushy water is eroding underground rock, accelerating the subsidence in parts of the town, geologist Piyoosh Rautela tells The Telegraph New Delhi: Piyoosh Rautela, a professional geologist, has scrambled over the past week to manage a crisis in Joshimath he had warned about 12 years ago — a spike in the central Himalayan town’s sinking rate triggered by the sudden release of underground water. The water discharge from a burst aquifer...