-The Times of India Public sector insurers are on course to increase medical insurance premium with Oriental Insurance saying that it will end the six-year freeze and raise annual costs by around 15% in the wake of higher costs. Other state-run companies, which sell health insurance under the Mediclaim brand, too, are expected to follow suit, especially after the government prodded them to ensure that they run profitable businesses. The four companies...

-The Economic Times "Are we knowledge-proof?" asked the late Prof Raj Krishna. As memorable as his other coinage, the Hindu rate of growth, this question is relevant, given our current growth strategy. The SME sector is a vibrant part of the economy, accounting for 40% of manufacturing and generating jobson a scale second only to agriculture. The figures are similarly significant for handicrafts and handlooms. According to the Tenth Plan, GDP from handicrafts...

-The Economic Times India is in the bottom of the world's maiden nutrition barometer along with countries like Angola, Cameroon, Congo and Yemen. The barometer — announced by Save the Children on Thursday — has analyzed the governments' commitments and outcomes in improving nutrition in 36 countries, which are home to 90% of undernourished children. The study has also compared the governments' performance in tackling under nutrition and child mortality. It has found...

-The Economic Times The government's decision to cap supply of subsidised cooking gas cylinders to six a year would be difficult to implement and encourage black marketing, oil industry officials said.   There could be an opportunity to divert cheaper cylinders from customers whose yearly consumption is less than six refills, industry officials said. According to the oil ministry 44% of consumers take six cylinders or less in a year. All India LPG Distributors...

-PTI HYDERABAD: Cash-starved Andhra Pradesh government is finding it tough to honour the Congress high command's directive on increasing the subsidised LPG quota from six to nine cylinders per family a year. The government, that is surviving by selling its securities every month to raise funds, is not in a position to foot the additional subsidy bill on LPG, sources said. Preliminary estimates suggest that the state government will have to bear a...