Global megatrends such as income inequality, climate change, demographic shifts, technological progress, and urbanisation are shaping the future of societies. Yet, their quantitative impacts on development
BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh may top the economic development parameters, but still has a long way to go in ensuring attendance in educational institutions and overall literacy levels especially among women.
Chhattisgarh Governor Shekhar Dutt has sought details from the State government on the declining population trends in six Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts of Koriya, Dakshin Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur, Sukma, Jashpur and Kanker as reflected in the Provisional Census 2011 figures. The State government says while it would wait for a more detailed analysis of the final Census reports when published by the Registrar General of India, it is not averse to an independent population survey in these districts.
Private hospitals refuse treatment under government insurance schemes The Chhattisgarh government has had to accept yet another setback while trying desperately to rope in private players to strengthen public health care services. At least 20 major private hospitals have refused to provide treatment under the Chief Minister’s health insurance scheme — Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana (MSBY). Reportedly, they are also not following guidelines to provide treatment under the national health insurance scheme, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), and are charging money from the patients.
Australians have achieved a major breakthrough in controlling dengue and hope to transfer this not-for-profit technology to India, which is recording some of the highest number of dengue cases in the world. The Eliminate Dengue Research Programme (EDRP) has found that by transferring the Wolbachia bacteria, found in the common fruit fly, into the dengue mosquito called the aedes aegypti, the latter’s ability to transmit the dengue virus gets substantially reduced.
PUNE: About 17.46 lakh rural population of Pune division is facing severe water scarcity and most of them are dependent on tankers for drinking water supply, said a senior officer from the divisional commissionerate. The revised report on water scarcity in villages and hamlets stated that 865 villages and 3,823 hamlets in the division are facing severe water crisis. The available sources have dried up and people have to depend on water supplied by the government.
Stresses on water supplies aggravated by climate change are likely to cause more conflicts and water should be considered as vital to national security as defense, the United Nations report said on Friday.
Though they have most basic amenities, sanitation is missing Slum residents have better access to drinking water and electricity than their counterparts in the urban non-slum areas, claims a report on ‘Housing Stock, Amenities and Assets in Slums’ released here on Thursday. The report also says the number of slums in the country has declined. The first-of-its-kind survey, based on Houselisting and Housing Census 2011 conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, has revealed that slum residents have most basic amenities like drinking water and electricity and even facilities like mobile phones, internet and private vehicles: the only service missing is sanitation.
With the revised National Food Security Bill set to be introduced in Parliament, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) has warned the government's move to distribute highly subsidised foodgrains to two-thirds of the population as a legal entitlement that would create a serious crisis of ‘food management’in the country. CACP chairman Ashok Gulati told FE that in the absence of huge investments in irrigation, foodgrain storage facilities and improvement in rail infrastructure for transportation of grains, the implementation of the proposed food security legislation would not be sustainable in the long run.
Likely in Parliament this week; FoodMin draft accepted without changes; CCEA defers decision on levy sugar The Union Cabinet today cleared the revised and much-discussed National Food Security Bill (NFSB), paving the way for its introduction in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament. If enacted, this would provide a legal entitlement for cheap grain to about two-thirds of India’s population, at five kg monthly for each person. Rice will be provided at a uniform Rs 3 a kg (market price over Rs 20 a kg), wheat at Rs 2 a kg (market price Rs 16 a kg) and coarse cereals at Re 1 a kg.
The sex ratio in the Capital has declined from a high of 1,004 in 2008 to 893 in 2011, reveals the Economic Survey of Delhi 2012-13 which was presented by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in the State Assembly
