-The Hindu NITI Aayog CEO says he did not say they were dragging down India’s growth Facing criticism over his comment that eastern States such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where the BJP is in power, are keeping India backward, Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog, on Tuesday issued a clarification on Twitter. “These States are backward on human development indicators because of legacy issues. This government’s...

-Business Standard State set to grab pole position in 3rd edition of rankings, which are likely to be out early April, Delhi expected to score low The third edition of the government's annual Ease of doing Business ranking for states, modeled on the international one conducted by the World Bank, may see West Bengal jumping 15 places to top the list along with Chhatisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Data collected till Wednesday on an...

-The Hindu The obsession for a male child in many parts of Asia can be changed. South Korea shows the way On the Vietnam Airlines flight to Hanoi, I did the opposite of what I usually do at take off — loosened my seat belt fully before I could buckle it. On most other flights I have to tighten the belt to make up for the passenger who occupied the seat before...

-The Hindu Farming must be treated as a market-based enterprise and made viable on its own terms The week-long farmers’ march which reached Mumbai earlier this month, on the anniversary of Gandhi’s Dandi March of 1930, was unprecedented in many ways. It was mostly silent and disciplined, mostly leaderless, non-disruptive and non-violent, and well organised. It received the sympathy of middle class city dwellers, food and water from bystanders, free medical services...

-The Hindu Business Line Lack of financial transparency and social inclusion is at the root of India’s lopsided growth story, finds the India Responsible Business Index ‘Sab kuchh dikhta hai (everything is visible)’, the tag line of the now controversial Rotomac pens seems to assume a sinister meaning in light of the recent financial fraud involving owners Vikram and Rahul Kothari. The recently unearthed Nirav Modi scam, with no LoU [Letter of Understanding]...