Reportage
Understanding randomised controlled trials and the criticisms and challenges around them
With Esther Duflo, Abhijit Banerji, and Michael Kremer winning the 2019 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, there is renewed interest and discourse around randomised controlled trials
Gaon Connection
“The condition of the agricultural economy is poor. The MGNREGA budget must increase”
If the government does not accommodate the rural development ministry’s request in the upcoming Budget in February, the MGNREGA workers in the country will fail to get timely payments, yet again
Kushal Mishra
“I have to make 4-5 visits to the ration shop. Often, my kids get to eat only once”
The beneficiaries are not getting ration in time because the Electronic Point of Sale (E-PoS) machines often fail to operate due to network issues. Because of this, they have to make multiple visits to the ration shop, at times missing work and daily wages for those days
Ranvijay Singh
The extraordinary journey of an ordinary farmer’s son: Passion for football takes him to Germany
From a very young age, Akash Mishra wanted to do something different to ensure he didn’t have to live his entire life in his village. His passion for football took him to Germany. He is now all set to go places
Daya Sagar
If you spend Rs 200 on a cup of hot brewed coffee, a farmer gets less than a rupee
The farmers of the largest coffee producing state, Karnataka, are so troubled with the rising input costs, decreasing profits and climate change that they are resorting to selling off the plantations
Mithilesh Dhar Dubey
Behmai massacre: It’s been 39 years … the villagers are still waiting for justice
On February 14, 1981, Behmai village, which is situated by the Yamuna river, about 50 kms from Kanpur dehat, came into the national limelight when “bandit queen” Phoolan Devi, with the help of her gang, shot 20 people to death. The lives of their families changed forever …
Neetu Singh
The National Clean Air Programme may fail to clean up the toxic air
The Indian government has drawn up an ambitious plan to clean up the polluted air of 122 cities. But, in the absence of a scientific monitoring and reporting mechanism, pollution reduction targets may remain only on paper
Nidhi Jamwal
UP officials show boys as 102, 104 in birth certificates when denied bribe. But, what’s the real story?
The parents allege the officers did so because they were denied bribe, the officials say it’s a case of personal vengeance and the date was changed from 2 to 102 to set the officials up
Ranvijay Singh
The new labour law has come to force, but little has changed for the ground workers
The new labour law calls for the minimum daily wage of Rs 178 and minimum monthly wage of Rs 4,628. Several national labour associations and trade unions are opposing the new minimum wages
Kushal Mishra
Drinking milk may be risky because of increased cases of bovine cancer, warn scientists
The scientists at the Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences believe drinking milk from a cancer-afflicted animal may increase one’s cancer risk if the milk isn’t boiled well