Page 5 - Indiaspend

Without stricter checks, directive to 'utilise' fly ash may prove futile

The latest notification does not address chronic problems of badly managed and risky disposal of fly ash by polluting units, say environmentalists

Covid-19: Children lose friends, and learning as schools remain shut

Parents, especially those who are poor and unable to teach their children want schools to open, while literate, urban parents worry about Covid-19

Story in numbers: From agriculture to construction, where do Indians work?

Currently, 43% of India's total workforce is employed in agriculture

Even in India's sunny cities, rooftop solar systems come under a cloud

Inconsistent regulatory policies, high costs, patchy implementation of subsidy scheme and lack of awareness are some of the hurdles

This pilot trading scheme in Surat could help firms reduce air pollution

Industries participating in the pilot scheme reduced their particulate matter pollution by 24% (with an 8% margin of error)

Prescription drugs, controlled chemicals fuel illicit drug trade in India

India ranks among countries reporting opioid seizures, and concerns are rising over prescription drugs and their ingredients being increasingly diverted towards recreational use and illicit trade

India's fact checking on toilets rests on asking the right questions

Accurate data on sanitation behaviour and toilet use can be captured if surveys ask questions on sanitation practices of all individuals in a household instead of one member, say experts

'Lot depends on them': Junior doctors demand better pay as they fight Covid

Young doctors and medical staff have had to protest during pandemic for even basic rights: salaries, protection from assaults by patients' families, better staffing, poor quality hospital equipments

South Asia risks water insecurity as global warming affects Himalayas

Warming-induced changes in the Himalaya-Karakoram region will impact water availability in the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra basins.

Ahead of third wave, India's rural health centres depleted of drugs, staff

Healthcare centre in Maharashtra village shows what rural India could be facing ahead of new variants of the disease.

Explained: Why India is protesting EU's 'discriminatory' carbon border tax

As India's third largest trading partner, the EU accounted for €62.8 billion ($74.5 billion) worth of trade in goods in 2020.

49% of over 5,000 projects for smart cities unfinished as deadline nears

Smart cities were envisioned to be a solution to waste management, air pollution, traffic congestion, scarce resources and more.

State education laws need change: Bengal has the most, Nagaland the least

Arunachal Pradesh has the most restrictive school education law with terms such as 'seize', 'punished', 'fine'.

Reservations take SC/STs to Parliament, but not to positions of influence

Their proportional share in the Lok Sabha is not reflected in their presence in various committees, implying limited influence and authority.

Crushed in first wave, migrant workers have few jobs, little support again

Little attention has been paid to relief and social protection to migrant workers during state lockdowns this year, study says.

Clean energy bid can help states with huge bills for subsiding power

Building community-sized renewable energy plants and shutting down old coal plants is a workable solution, say experts.

'A sea of broken children', Covid gives rise to abuse, labour and marriage

While they may be less susceptible to the virus itself, children in South Asia are profoundly affected by the fallout, including the economic and social consequences of measures such as lockdowns

India's ban on single-use plastics runs into challenges, pitches new rules

A government committee has identified items to be banned based on an index of their utility and environmental impact.

Covid-19 pandemic in Haridwar: Tell-tale signs of Kumbh as super spreader

Haridwar recorded only 149 daily Covid-19 cases on April 1, but on April 23, the figure jumped to 1,115. Between April 23 and April 30, more than a thousand Covid cases were reported daily

Transgenders can't get state benefits as most official data ignores 'other'

Lack of means to record their preferred gender identities means that many Indians who identify as transgender are excluded from various social security benefits.