Uttar Pradesh

The use of biofuels in rural households of developing countries generates indoor air pollution that imposes health risks, especially for those actively involved in cooking. This study examines risk factors for respiratory symptoms for rural women on the basis of comprehensive data on socio-economic variables, smoking habits, characteristics of the kitchen, cooking practices, fuel used, health symptoms, etc, from a very large number of sample households in three north Indian states, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. The study points to a need for creating awareness on the issue in addition to making available more efficient stoves and clean fuels and highlighting the importance of proper ventilation in the cooking areas.

A Congress-SP alliance may signal a new era in UP politics. Much depends however on how serious the Congress is about its recent overtures to Mulayam Singh.

The fiscal scenario in Uttar Pradesh is showing definite signs of deterioration. Part of the reason for the slow growth of per capita income is the state's inability to raise resources; but the government's inability to allocate funds for productive development has compounded the situation.

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This paper examines disparities across government and private schools in two cities of Uttar Pradesh - Firozabad and Deoria. The study considered varied parameters - enrolment rates, retention rates, gender differentials - in an attempt to estimate out-of-school children in these districts. While the proportion of students in private schools has been consistently rising, the study found that government schools still score over private ones in several aspects, for instance attendance rates and issues of gender sensitivity.