Governance

The latest nationwide survey reveals a seismic shift in the age profile of Sri Lanka, with the share of children shrinking and the elderly proportion growing – signalling a departure from decades of youthful-growth to one of rapid ageing and dependency pressures.

The activists alleged that data was selectively used, negative trial results ignored, and unsubstantiated performance claims amplified in order to push the technology into Indian farms without adequate scientific basis or regulatory rigour.

Launched under a 2017 Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of India and Sri Lanka, the scheme envisages 600 houses – one “model village” of 24 homes per district across Sri Lanka.

As thousands of Afghans are loaded onto trucks for forced return, the crisis reflects not just the failure of diplomacy but also the erosion of trust between two interdependent nations. Unless talks resume on a more equal footing, analysts warn, South Asia may face yet another cycle of displacement, resentment and instability.

According to the report, the gap in learning outcomes between wealthier and poorer students is widening – even as the nation slips in its global standings.

The Aswesuma scheme, introduced in 2023, aims to replace a decades-old programme with a new model that ostensibly uses multidimensional deprivation scores rather than just income thresholds.

The NCAER survey points to stagnation in India’s labour markets, reflecting the cautious stance of employers amid policy and trade uncertainty. Over 70 per cent of firms expect no change in their hiring plans for the next six months.