-The Indian Express Ten kilometres from Jodhpur city, on a sultry afternoon under a flapping tent, a baby girl is born to Sadhu and Radha. People crowd around and peer into the tent to congratulate the couple. Someone in the crowd says, “The first Indian among us, she should be named Bharati.” The suggestion is met with nods of approval and cheers of “Bharati”. Over the last one month, the makeshift tent...

-The Times of India The government spent Rs 15.50 lakh on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's visits abroad between 2006 and 2011, according to data accessed through RTI. The Prime Minister's Office on Friday had said the government did not incur any expenses on Sonia's travel. The statement sought to differentiate between spending by the government and cost borne by the Special Protection Group for the security contingent. The Rs 15 lakh spent is...

-NDTV Shares in DLF, India's biggest real estate developer, slumped to a low of Rs. 229.50 Monday, indicating an over 5 per cent cut from Friday's close. Last week, anti-corruption activists Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan had alleged that DLF had gifted Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, a 65-crore interest-free loan and sweetheart deals on a series of apartments in Gurgaon. DLF shares traded at the bottom of...

-Outlook The Group of Minister (GoM) on Land Acquisition Bill today remained divided over the issue of retrospective acquisitions and the consent required from land owners with Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar saying two-three meetings are required to finalise the bill. During the last meeting too, the same issues had divided the members of the GoM headed by Pawar. "No final view on retrospective clause could happen. We have not taken any final call...

-The Economic Times A new book by Bibek Debroy on Gujarat looks at how this much-talked about state has performed in economic terms. The author argues history, luck and administrative clarity have been the determining factors. There has been a discernible pickup in Gujarat's growth performance since the 10th Plan (2002-07), the five-year Plans being natural periods for breaking up the timeline. It's tempting to argue that there is nothing exceptional in...