People in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) are facing discrimination at the time of COVID-19 outbreak as they are being denied benefits under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme launched by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.Pakistan government launched the Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme under which Rs. 12,000 grant is to be provided to around 12 million families across the country including those from PoK.But like all other schemes announced by Pakistan in the past, this too has excluded an already discriminated and deprived PoK populace of the benefits, as the residents have received nothing but despair after standing in long queues for hours outside the designated banks.A local woman said, "Our house caught fire and everything got burnt. Even our daughter faced severe injuries. Today we have nothing with us, not even food and we are getting no help. Our daughter got treated in Rawalpindi but now we don't have money to continue with her treatment. We came to know that we will be ...

The country-wide lockdown imposed on 23rd March, while necessary, has had deep ramifications on economic activity. According to the CII CEOs Snap Poll on Impact of COVID-19 on Economy and Industry, while a majority of the firms continue to anticipate a significant decline in their topline, they now foresee a delay in economic revival and demand recovery. The survey saw the participation of more than 300 CEOs, of which nearly two-thirds belonged to MSMEs. The lockdown brought economic activity to a grinding halt and the survey findings indicate that a significant majority of the firms (65%) expect revenues to fall more than 40% in the current quarter (Apr-Jun 2020). For financial year 2020-21, the expectations of a fall in revenue are staggered, with 33% of the firms anticipating a revenue fall of more than 40%, closely followed by 32% of firms expecting a revenue contraction ranging between 20% to 40%.

Anyone home-quarantined for suspected coronavirus infection but found breaching the seclusion rules will invite home confinement for all his family members, the Kangra police warned on Friday. Kangras Senior Superintendent of Police Vimukt Ranjan said the new provisions have been made on Friday. As per the fresh orders issued today, any person who has come to the district from other districts of Himachal Predesh or other states of India and placed on home quarantine for 28 days from the date of his entry in district Kangra will be shall be dealt more strictly for its violations, said Ranjan He added that if a home-quarantined person with his other family members not confined along with him is found violating the seclusion rules, in any form, then his entire family members would be put in home0confinement along with him, he said. In Himachal around 90,000 persons returned home from other states on passes issued by state government in the past one week and another 20,000 plus are ...

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday welcomed the Centre's decision to borrow additional 4.2 lakh crore and said it should be used to provide relief to the poor and re-start the economy. "After resisting our appeals, especially through statements of the CEA, the government has finally decided to borrow an additional amount of Rs 4.2 lakh crore taking the projected fiscal deficit to 5.38 per cent. We welcome the decision," he said in a statement. The senior Congress leader, however, said, "It is not enough to borrow more unless the amount is used to provide relief to the poor and to re-start the economy. We look forward to the revised expenditure budget for 2020-21." Echoing similar sentiments put forth by several eminent economists, he had appealed to the central government to shed its reservations and borrow more in 2020-21. "In our view, the budgeted fiscal deficit of 3.5 per cent should not be a constraint in these extraordinary times," he said in the statement. The ...

In a slugfest over the transportation of stranded migrants to West Bengal, railway officials on Saturday said there was no proposal on record so far with the national transporter to run any more 'Shramik Special' trains to the state. The Indian Railways reaction came minutes after the TMC said they have already planned to run eight trains to ferry migrants from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Telangana. The railway said they did not even have the proposal yet for the train, which the TMC claimed has been scheduled from Hyderabad to Malda on Saturday at 3 pm. The Indian Railways has so far run only two trains to West Bengal, one from Rajasthan and the other from Kerala. According to the guidelines issued by the railways for these trains, the proposal has to be received from both the states along with the number of passengers for these trains to run. The officials said the railways has 47 planned for Saturday so far, none of them were bound for West Bengal. The TMC on Saturday accused

The Indian Railways has operated 302 Shramik Special' trains since May 1 and ferried home more than 3 lakh migrants stranded in various parts of the country amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, officials said. The national transporter has planned to operate 47 trains on Saturday, out of which 34 trains have already departed, they said. Every Shramik Special train has 24 coaches, each with a capacity of 72 seats. The railways, however, is allowing only 54 people in a coach to maintain social distancing norms by not allotting the middle berth to any passenger. While the railways has not yet announced the cost incurred on the special services, officials indicate the national transporter has spent around Rs 80 lakh per service. The government had earlier stated that the cost of the services has been shared on 85:15 ratio with states. Since the beginning of running the Shramik Special trains, Gujarat remained one of the top originating stations followed by Kerala. Among the receiving ...

Mizoram became coronavirus-free with the discharge of the lone COVID-19 patient from a hospital on Saturday, officials said. It now shares a similar status with four other northeastern states -- Manipur, Sikkim, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Mizoram Health Minister Dr R Lalthangliana said the state's lone COVID-19 patient, a pastor, was discharged from Zoram Medical College (ZMC) on Saturday afternoon after 45 days of intense treatment. He was discharged from the hospital after four consecutive tests turned negative, the minister said. The pastor, who is in his early 50s and working under the Baptist Church of Mizoram, returned to the state from Amsterdam on March 16. He was pursuing higher study in theology in the Netherlands capital. He tested positive for novel coronavirus on March 24 and was admitted at ZMC along with his wife and two children. The pastor's wife and children were discharged from the medical college on March 28 after they tested negative for COVID-19. The state ..

So much in India seems out of control because local governments are not functioning well. A SYSTEM for citizen involvement needs to be in place, says Ramesh Ramanathan.

Recently, disaster struck all 53 families of the Chellipadam village in a Kochi suburb, when nearly 25 lorries, all carrying stinking garbage from the city rolled in with heavy police escort and dumped decaying garbage in their midst. The villagers had to flee their homes unable to stand the stench. M Suchitra and P N Venugopal have more.

A few months of learning using the primers developed by Utthan have helped over 2000 women in the ravine regions of Bundelkhand so far; they no longer rely on the assistance of others for their daily reading needs. Freny Manecksha reports that crossing this threshold helps open the women many other doors too.

It is tragic that the new Amendment to the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) (CLPR) Act, 2016, which has a seemingly progressive framework, has been largely diluted by chicanery, opines Kathyayini Chamaraj.

The Chennai High Court opined in December that industrialisation created the wealth necessary for protecting the environment. Sunita Dubey tests this claim in the United States and finds that the court ignored the US' system of local public participation and more.

India's food security bill is on top of the negotiating agenda for the forthcoming WTO Conference at Bali. Devinder Sharma explains why the likely compromise in the face of posturing from developed countries could have serious ramifications for food security and self-sufficiency.

A Consortium of 7 IITs is working on a plan that will form the basis for the long-term vision for the government’s much-talked about Ganga rejuvenation programme. Shripad Dharmadhikary reviews an initial summary released by the Consortium as the framework within which the final plan will be drawn up.

The entire episode of BJP leader Lalkrishna Advani's resignation from the party and its subsequent meek withdrawal not only breaks the myth of his capacity for brinkmanship, but may also prove to be a spoiler for the party in the run up to the Lok Sabha, says B.S. Nagaraj.

Several newly elected panchayat presidents and and council members attended a unique ceremony in Lalpur, U.P., in late September. Watched by the District Magistrate, they took an oath of 'office and transparency' as opposed to the customary oath of 'office and secrecy'. Sandeep Pandey writes about a new beginning.

As the Kerala government takes steps to re-inspire citizens to engage in grassroots level governance, P Mohammad Nizar draws attention to certain critical issues that must be addressed for the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the state to be effectively revitalised.

"India should be worried." Experts reiterate that child malnutrition is not only responsible for 22 per cent of India's disease burden - and for 50 per cent of the 2.3 million child deaths in India -- but is also a serious economic hazard. Neeta Lal reports.

Taking a 360-degree view of the Union Budget 2013, Shankar Jaganathan points out that despite 'inclusive and sustainable development' being a stated goal, the emphasis has primarily been on growth and finances.

Eashwar Mime Co. presents the opposition between an individual's voice and collective silence using mime - an art form that has almost disappeared since the advent of the spoken word in films, writes Shoma Chatterji.

Will the FTII, which once encouraged plurality of cinema, be reduced to providing skilled labour for an assembly line production system of films? Students and alumni are worried. Shoma Chatterji reports.

It is tempting to take a rosy-eyed view of the future of successful entrepreneurship at the BOP. But what is the picture really? Richa Govil takes you through some recent stories and the lessons they may hold.

What does state sovereignty really stand for? Does it downplay the role and status of the individual by making him a 'subject' of the state? Watch Usha Ramanathan, as she deconstructs the complex entity of the state in the Daksh Constitutional Day Lecture.

“We need a change in mind set, where the wilful or non-cooperative defaulter is not lionized as a captain of industry, but justly chastised as a freeloader on the hardworking people of this country,” said the RBI governor in his recent lecture at IRMA, Anand. An unedited transcript of his speech

Part of the Aravalli range, the Delhi ridge is an icon of greenery and part of the capital's heritage. But over the years, much of the ridge has disappeared, with the most recent threat coming from swanky hotels and malls. A multi-stakeholder board is supposed to protect the ridge, but is fraught with conflicts of interest. Deepa A reports.

Every year the Knight fellowships program at Stanford University awards eight international fellowships for journalism innovation. This year, one of the eight is your own newsmagazine’s co-founder.

A unique strength of the NREGS is that citizens have the right to oversee its implementation, by direct scrutiny of its records. Sandeep Pandey provides daily updates on the progress of the social audit of the scheme in UP's Unnao district.

A recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India reveals blatant procedural and legal non-compliance in respect of compensatory afforestation work in Himachal Pradesh. Himanshu Upadhyaya summarises the findings.

Administrative lapses and the fears of young parents keep a small percentage of infants outside the vaccine's reach, and this may be enough to keep the virus alive.

Lalitha Sridhar talks to septuagenarian Dr. R. Kausalya Devi, head of the award winning Gandhigram Rural Hospital near Madurai.

A township on the eastern outskirts of Bangalore was among the first to run into council elections after the Supreme Court ruled on new disclosure rules for candiates. Public Affairs Centre looks at whether candidates and officials actually followed due process.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presented the maiden budget of the recently elected Congress government on July 12, but does his populist package promise anything beyond mere intent? Sridhar Pabbisetty elaborates.

As Gram Panchayats in Karnataka go to the polls this year, Madhavi Rajadhyaksha explores the untapped potential of these grassroots institutions and suggests ways in which their capabilities may be leveraged and capacity strengthened.

The Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act Amendment Committee suggested reforms in the 1993 legislation to realise the ideal of decentralisation in letter and spirit. Nandana Reddy, a core member of the committee, holds the state accountable for the manner in which it has dealt with the report and proposed amendments.

नार्वेजियन यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ साइंस एंड टेक्नोलॉजी ने अध्ययन किया है कि कसरत को प्रेरित करने के मामले में सोशल मीडिया कितना मददगार हो सकता है.

नेहा धूपिया (Neha Dhupia) और अंगद बेदी (Angad Bedi) ने इंस्टाग्राम पर लाइव (Instagram Live) वेडिंग एनिवर्सरी (Wedding Anniversary) सेलीब्रेट करने का ऐलान किया है.

आज सुबह रामायण (Ramayana) टीवी पर आते ही सोशल मीडिया (Social Media) पर लोगों ने इसे देखते हुए तस्वीरें शेयर करनी शुरू कर दी हैं. ट्विटर (Twitter) पर #Ramayan नंबर 1 पर ट्रेंड करता दिखाई दिया.

रामायण (Ramayan) और महाभारत (Mahabharat) के बाद अब टीवी पर पुराने विज्ञापन (90s Advertisement) लौट आए हैं.

रामायण (Ramayan) का दौर एक बार फिर वापस आ गया. ऐसे में जानें जामवंत (Jamwant) का रोल निभाने वाले अभिनेता राजशेखर उपाध्याय (Rajshekhar Upadhyay) के बारे में.

रामायण की सीता (Sita) यानी एक्ट्रेस दीपिका चिखलिया (Deepika Chikhalia) ने उस दौर की कहानी बताई जब रामायण (Ramayan) का पहला एपिसोड शूट हुआ था.

रामायण (Ramayan) के लक्ष्मण (Laxman) यानी एक्टर सुनील लहरी (Actor Sunil Lahri) की पुरानी फोटोज (Old Photos) जबरदस्त वायरल हो रही हैं.

30 सालों में कितने बदल गए 'रामायण' (Ramayan) में लव-कुश (Luv-Kush) का किरदार निभाने वाले अभिनेता मयूरेश क्षेत्रमाडे (Mayuresh Kshetramade) और स्वप्निल जोशी (Swapnil Joshi).

रामायण (Ramayan) में भगवान राम के भाई 'भरत' (Bharat) का किरदार निभाने वाले अभिनेता संजय जोग (Sanjay Jog) के बारे में जानें कुछ अहम बातें.

रामायण (Ramayan) की सीता (Sita) यानी एक्ट्रेस दीपिका चिखलिया (Deepika Chikhalia) ने अहम सीन काटे जाने पर खुलकर नाराजगी जाहिर की है.

परशुराम जयंती (Parshuram Jayanti) के मौके पर देखिए 'रामायण' (Ramayan) में राम (Ram), लक्ष्मण (Laxman) और परशुराम (Parshuram) का संवाद.

रामायण (Ramayan) के निर्माता रामानंद सागर (Ramanand Sagar) और जामवंत (Jamwant) का किरदार निभा चुके एक्टर राजशेखर उपाध्याय (Rajshekhar Udadhyay) के बीच काफी अच्छी दोस्ती थी.

रामायण (Ramayan) के अहम सीन्स को काटे जाने के आरोपों के बीच अब लक्ष्मण (Laxman) का किरदार निभा चुके अभिनेता सुनील लहरी (Sunil Lahri) ने इस पर बात की है.

रामायण (Ramayan) ने दुनिया भर में फैंस बना लिए हैं और इसके साथ ही एक जबरदस्त विश्व रिकॉर्ड (World Record) भी स्थापित किया है.

दूरदर्शन (Doordarshan) ने ट्वीट के जरिए दर्शकों को धन्यवाद कहा है. इस ऐतिहासिक विश्व रिकॉर्ड के लिए कहीं न कहीं दूरदर्शन के दर्शक भी क्रेडिट के हकदार हैं.

रामायण (Ramayan) में भगवान राम (Lord Ram) का किरदार निभाने वाले अभिनेता अरुण गोविल (Arun Govil) ने कोरोना वायरस (Coronavirus) पर फैन (Fan) के सवाल पर दिलचस्प जवाब दिया.