Keep up-to-date with all that is happening in welfare policy with this curated selection of news, published every fortnight. The current edition focusses on the Monsoon session of the Indian Parliament.

Parliament News

• Parliament has passed two Bills relating to reforms in marketing of farm produce. The Bills have sparked widespread protest in farmer collectives and the Opposition. Details are available here.
• The majority of supplementary demands for grants (first batch of additional expenditure) would be utilised for welfare schemes, the government has informed the Parliament.
• In order to reform labour welfare laws in the country, the Union government has introduced Three Labour Codes in the Lok Sabha.
• An update by the government on the Atmanirbhar Bharat package and fiscal and monetary policies is available here. 
• The Union government has raised the insurance coverage available to Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana account holders to Rs. 2 lakh.  
• The number of persondays under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has increased to over 52 per cent during April-August. Download our factsheet to understand the scheme and rural livelihoods during the pandemic. 
• BharatNet, which aims to connect over 2.5 lakh panchayats with broadband, is behind schedule.

Coronavirus-focus News

• Data on the loss of life of doctors and health workers due to COVID-19 is not being maintained, the Union government has told the Parliament.
• The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 has been introduced in the Rajya Sabha. It aims to replace an Ordinance that empowered authorities to curb and act on violence against healthcare workers in the course of duty. 
• Maharashtra, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh have received the maximum financial assistance among states under the India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package, the government has informed the Lok Sabha.

Other News

• Poshan Maah or Nutrition Month is being celebrated across the country in September. Download our analyses on the POSHAN Abhiyaan to understand the scheme’s progress.