-Accountability Initiative/ RaghuBytes Unless you have a blocked nose, I strongly suggest that you do not drive from Bhubaneshwar the capital of Orissa, to Kandamahal, a remote tribal district, particularly in the evenings. At twilight, when you begin to wind into the interior, you are greeted with the sight of the behinds of the entire population squatting on the roadside, faces turned away and shitting. We quickly wound up the windows...

-The Business Standard The govt takes the final decision to partially accept US demands on the phase-out of global warming refrigerant gases in India India took a leap forward to meet US demands on climate change with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's and US President Barack Obama's joint statement. The government took the final decision to partially accept US demands on the phase-out of global warming refrigerant gases in India, a step India had...

-Outlook   New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches the country-wide cleanliness drive Swacch Bharat Abhiyan on October 2, Delhi government officials will be spotted with brooms, cleaning the city's streets. Sources said the Centre has asked the government to motivate its officials to dedicate 100 hours every year to keep the city clean. Delhi's Chief Secretary has asked every public employee to identify dirty areas and clean them as part of...

-The Hindu The Prime Minister's call for making India a manufacturing hub and creating jobs should boost small and medium enterprises as well Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ‘Make in India' campaign is creating waves both in India and abroad. Given the government's intention to boost domestic manufacturing and create new jobs, its proposal to introduce a new policy for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) deserves a closer look. While Mr. Modi's...

-The Business Standard PlanCom meets this month to hasten implementation; initial focus on target coverage might cover 300 districts After reposing faith in the Aadhaar project at its cabinet meeting last week, the Narendra Modi government wants Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) to 80% of beneficiaries in five key schemes "as soon as possible". These include the cooking gas subsidy, where DBT was stalled under the previous government. The other schemes are on transfer...