-Rediff.com   Born in Mumbai's infamous red-light district, Shweta Katti has won a scholarship to the Bard College, New York. This is her story. Shweta Katti is warming up to the media attention she's been receiving lately. She has had a long day but has agreed to meet me at a coffee shop for what must have been the nth interview she's giving in the last 48 hours. It is close to 10 in...

-The Hindu Business Line Plans start from Re 1/day to hook those who have never logged in via smartphones Mumbai: Telecom operators are going the sachet way, launching low-cost packs to hook the new cell phone-Netizen. From one rupee a day to Rs 25 for seven days' usage, telecom service providers are coming up with novel plans to attract mobile Internet users. Aircel, Idea Cellular and Vodafone India have launched, or are launching,...

-Down to Earth Two developments in the last week essay the progress of panchayatiraj in the past 20 years. The Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj issued public notifications asking village panchayats to hold the next village council meeting in April/May. It is an irony that the highest unit of government i.e. the union government decides the dates of meetings for the lowest tier of governance. The notification violates the letter and...

-The Telegraph Jamshedpur: A school is a primary lesson in going away from fear and towards power, feel the CRPF. Last year, the paramilitary force reopened a government-run primary school at Thalkobad at Saranda's Manoharpur block in West Singhbhum. Maoists had partially bombed the school in 2004, causing it to become one of the many Maoist-styled cradles in the area that drilled anti-democratic ideologies and taught practical lessons on bombs, guns and...

-PTI Washington: World Bank President Jim Yong Kim has praised the cash transfer programmes being implemented by several countries as an effective way to help the poor and reduce poverty. Without naming India, which is one of the countries implementing the cash transfer programme, Jim described the scheme as an important step towards inclusive growth. He was speaking at the ‘Fiscal Policy, Equity and Long-Term Growth in Developing Countries Conference' held at...