-The Indian Express The growing influence on policy issues of activists who call themselves “civil society” is a worrying trend and needs to be objectively analysed. Two recent policy pronouncements will illustrate how government seems to be yielding to their pressure. It is well established that absenteeism of teachers and poor quality of outcomes in government schools is the main factor behind the popularity of private schools with poor infrastructure that cater...

-Outlook Chandwa (J'hand): All districts in Jharkhand would be covered in the Direct Cash Transfer programme by middle of next year, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said today. "Now Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, Sareikela-Kharsawan and Ranchi are among the Jharkhand districts in the country where Direct Cash Transfer programme will begin from January 1. We are trying to cover all the districts in the state by May," the Rural Development minister said while taking stock...

-The Times of India UPA-II's flagship direct cash transfer scheme has run into rough weather following warnings of a potential scam in the making, and evoking concerns of serious delays. Government functionaries have raised the red flag about how cash would be finally disbursed to beneficiaries and whether the National Population Register (NPR) would come into play in some states instead of the Unique Identification (UID) number to identify the end-users. Senior...

-The Hindu Rohtak: Even as the government scrambles to assuage angry crowds protesting against the gang-rape of a girl in New Delhi, it continues to sit on a draft scheme submitted by the National Commission for Women (NCW) in 2010 that seeks to provide financial assistance and support services to rape victims. The scheme, which has also been circulated to the States for them to implement on their own, is bogged down...

-The Hindu India’s investment in renewable energy was $10.4 billion in 2011 India is among the fastest growing economies in the area of renewable energy. Global players have either set up shop or are poised to enter the renewable energy area, spurred by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in the 11th Plan. The Government is getting ready to launch the second phase of this mission in the Twelfth Plan. According to Ernst...