-The Hindu     While it is apparent that due process has been subverted to the advantage of a few by the political executive, it is equally true that there has been some politicisation of the civil service Two recent events have focussed attention on the relationship between the political executive and public servants. At the international conference on corruption organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation on November 11, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh...

-The Hindustan Times Patna: Panic-stricken people in Meghalaya today rushed to grocery stores and purchased salt at exorbitant prices following wild rumours that the commodity was in short supply. In neighbouring West Bengal, similar rumours sent people in Siliguri, Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts rushing to stores and buy salt at Rs100-150 a kg since Thursday night. In Bihar, where it all started, the police arrested 21 persons on charges of hoarding and...

-Outlook Kolkata: The Opposition Left Front in West Bengal today demanded Rs 5,50,000 crore for the state during 2015-2020 period, which is more than double of what the ruling Trinamool Congress government had demanded from the 14th Finance Commission. "We from the Left Front had met the 14th Finance Commission and the meeting was fruitful. We had demanded about Rs 5,50,000 crore for the state," former state finance minister Asim Dasgupta said...

-Economic and Political Weekly Despite being the third largest economy in the world by purchasing power party, the living standards of India's underprivileged citizens are probably among the worst in the world. Even its much poorer neighbours, such as Nepal and Bangladesh, have fared better in areas of health and social Development. Please click here to download the article. ...

-Down to Earth Gives details to finance ministry on the impact of revised budget estimates on individual schemes The steep cut in budgetary allocations for social welfare schemes in an election year seems to have become a great cause of worry for Union rural Development minister Jairam Ramesh. He has shot off a letter to finance minister P Chidambaram, expressing displeasure over the proposed Rs 15,000 crore funds cut in rural Development...