Columns
Vaccine hesitancy cannot be dealt with mandatory vaccination
Threats and coercion cannot dwindle vaccine hesitancy. People are getting vaccinated out of “fear” of discontinuation of social security schemes and not out of fear of the virus. It is important to spread awareness around vaccines and to win the trust of the community.
Sharanya
Same is not equal; need enabling measures to increase girls’ age of marriage
In the current debate on age of marriage, instead of looking at the gaping inequalities across gender, caste, class and religion, which foster underage marriages, the difference of three years between a girl’s and a boy’s minimum age of marriage is being cited as an inequality that needs to be done away with.
Amita Pitre
Rajasthan’s professional mourners, Rudaalis, are slipping away and need rehabilitation
Due to an increase in literacy, the Rudaali tradition is slowly fading away in Rajasthan. People now prefer quieter funerals, because of which these professional mourners are losing their importance. These widows find it hard to make both the ends meet and need to be rehabilitated.
Amit Baijnath Garg
India, a pharma super-power, must address the serious threat of antimicrobial resistance
By the year 2050, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is projected to account for over ten million deaths every year across the world, of which two million are estimated to happen in India alone. Over 30% of neonatal sepsis deaths in India are attributed to AMR.
K Madan Gopal
POSHAN on wheels, nutri-kits and mobile anganwadis to tackle malnutrition in Assam
The recently released National Family and Health Survey 2019-20 shows an increase in ‘wasted’ children in Assam who have low weight for height. The state government has adopted various initiatives and strategies to tackle child malnutrition by providing funds and bringing together various stakeholders.
Bivash Modi
Despite regulations, lead in paint remains a health concern in India
Lead has been recognised to have negative effects on children’s neurological development. In 2016, the Indian government enacted rules to limit lead content in paints to a maximum of 90 parts per million. However, implementation challenges remain, especially in the small and medium scale enterprises.
Piyush Mohapatra
Global Hunger Index 2021: Why India’s ranking is abysmal despite being world’s second largest food producer
India is the world’s largest producer of milk and pulses, and it is the second largest producer of rice, wheat, vegetables, fruits and fish. Despite being self-reliant in food production of major crops and running the world’s largest food safety programme, the hunger situation is still serious in India. But there are ways to fight it.
Biswaranjan Baraj
Should the Forest Conservation Act be amended?
Ten days back, on October 2, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change published a ‘consultation note’ on changes it proposed to make in the Forest Conservation Act of 1980. What are the proposed changes? Should they be a cause for concern?
Manoj Misra
Hurdles ahead for One Nation One Ration Card scheme
The One Nation One Ration card scheme was launched in June 2019 to reform the Public Distribution System (PDS). However, close to 100 million people are estimated to be excluded from the PDS. There are several other challenges in the new scheme that need to be addressed.
Sameet Panda
Creating new homes for the rhinos in the Terai region of India
Till around 1870, Dudhwa in the Terai region of India had naturally occurring rhinos, which were believed to have been wiped out due to excessive poaching. Through sustained efforts of the Government of India and the support extended by the governments of Assam and Uttar Pradesh, 40 rhinos now roam around Dudhwa.