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Nitish favours hike in quotas for SCs, STs and OBCs; legislation likely in current assembly session

Patna, Nov 7 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday announced his intent to raise quotas for Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the state, saying a legislation to the effect is likely in the ongoing assembly session. The announcement, which was much anticipated in the wake of his government’s ambitious caste survey, came on the floor of the House during a debate that followed tabling of the report. “The quota for SCs and STs together stands at 17 per cent. It should be raised to 22 per cent. Likewise, the reservation for OBCs should also

Ban on firecrackers containing barium not limited to Delhi-NCR but binds every state: Supreme Court

New Delhi, Nov 7 (PTI) The order banning firecrackers containing barium binds every state and is not just limited to Delhi-NCR region, which is reeling under severe air pollution, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday. The clarification by the top court, which had in 2018 banned the bursting of conventional firecrackers to curb air and sound pollution, will have ramifications across the nation. The court also sought the response of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on stubble burning, after it was told that farm fires in states adjoining Delhi were affecting air quality in the national capital. A bench of

More than a third of families in Bihar surviving on Rs 6k per month or less, assembly told

Patna, Nov 7 (PTI) More than a third of families inhabiting Bihar were living in poverty, making do with a monthly income of Rs 6,000 or less, according to a detailed report of the caste survey tabled in the state assembly on Tuesday. The report also acknowledged considerable poverty among the upper castes, though the percentage was, predictably, much higher among backward classes, Dalits and tribals. As per the report, tabled by parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, the state was home to about 2.97 crore families, out of which more than 94 lakhs (34.13 per cent) were poor. Another

Mind-altering ketamine becomes latest pain treatment, despite little research or regulation

WASHINGTON (AP) — As U.S. doctors scale back their use of opioid painkillers, a new option for hard-to-treat pain is taking root: ketamine, the decades-old surgical drug that is now a trendy psychedelic therapy. Prescriptions for ketamine have soared in recent years, driven by for-profit clinics and telehealth services offering the medication as a treatment for pain, depression, anxiety and other conditions. The generic drug can be purchased cheaply and prescribed by most physicians and some nurses, regardless of their training. With limited research on its effectiveness against pain, some experts worry the U.S. may be repeating mistakes that gave

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