-The Indian Express The finance minister plans to scrap the supply of subsidised kerosene through the public distribution system (PDS) and high time, too. To begin with, why has the kerosene subsidy needed reform for decades and yet reform never materialised? Kerosene obtained through the PDS, being cheaper, is used to adulterate diesel and petrol. Kerosene leakages in the PDS are estimated to be 40 per cent of total allocations. The diversion...

-Business Standard Likely to carry out mid-term appraisal; states could continue with annual Plans Contrary to popular belief, the National Democratic Alliance government may not scrap the 12th five-year Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17) formulated by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Instead, it may carry out a course correction, in consultation with ministries and state governments. A model for such a structured rectification would be firmed up at the first governing council meeting...

-The Hindu Are political advertisements in newspapers on the day of an election legally permissible? India's leading political parties appear to be operating in a legal grey area, a position of ambiguity that they themselves have perpetuated. Section 126 of the Representation of People Act (1950) prohibits political parties from taking out television ads from 48 hours before an election. It does not, however, explicitly mention the print media. The relevant...

-PTI   Having already crossed the fiscal deficit target in November, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday hinted at more cuts in spending so as to contain it within limits for the current fiscal, saying he does not believe in living on borrowed money. "We're trying to rationalise expenditure as far as the government is concerned because we do not want the government to live on borrowed money indefinitely," he told a gathering...

-Livemint.com Experts say the panel's suggestions on public distribution system overlooked reforms undertaken by states New Delhi: The high-level committee on restructuring of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), which suggested sweeping changes in the procurement and distribution of foodgrains, may have based its conclusions on inflated leakages in the public distribution system (PDS), experts say. The panel recommended that coverage under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) be reduced from 67%...