-The Telegraph   Trinamul Congress members today carried placards inside Parliament denouncing the decision to let foreign players enter the multi-brand retail market, snubbing the government’s efforts to get ally Mamata Banerjee’s party on board. It was the first time since the FDI row erupted last week that party MPs waved placards that read “FDI hai hai” as they stormed the well of the House demanding that the government roll back its decision. According...

-The Hindu   “One is my brother and the other is not is the thinking of a narrow-minded person. For those who are broad-minded, liberals, or noble people, the entire world is one big family.” This translation from the Maha Upanishad is part of the vision statement of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), established in 1952 and held annually in Goa. Unfortunately, the IFFI directorate seemed to have momentarily lost...

Minority welfare schemes should target not districts but smaller units like hamlets and urban wards so that nobody passes under the radar, Sonia Gandhi’s National Advisory Council has told the Centre. The Centre’s 15-point programme for minorities, based on Sachar Committee recommendations, aims at multi-sector development in 90 districts with large minority populations. But the council believes this approach misses many who most need help while many non-minority residents reap indirect...

Railways tops the list among infrastructure projects that missed the deadline, causing huge cost overruns to the exchequer. Among the 134 rail projects monitored by the government, 101 were facing delays leading to cost overrun to the tune of Rs 56,609.3 crore, an increase of 153.5%.  There are 26 projects running behind schedule - ranging from two to 213 months - leading to the rise in cost by Rs 20,575 crore....

-The Times of India   Use of red light beacons atop cars and an upgrade in the warrant of precedence to serial number 17 from 21 at par with chief justices of high courts outside their jurisdictions and chairpersons of statutory bodies are part Lok Sabha's privileges committee's latest recommendations. In its report tabled on Wednesday, the committee suggested that the highways ministry be asked to issue a notification under the Central Motor...