Audits will look into the money released to the states in the last seven years, says Ghulam Nabi Azad The health ministry will conduct annual audits of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to detect irregularities in the utilization of funds. Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has written to the state governments seeking their cooperation on this. “We have decided to go for an audit of NRHM fund utilization across the states,”...

BHOPAL: In the midst of a hostage crisis, Chhattisgarh government has proposed names of two retired IAS officers S K Mishra and Mrs Nirmala Buch as mediators to negotiate with the Maoists for the safe release of Sukma district collector Alex Paul Menon, who is in rebel captivity since April 21.  Chief Minister Raman Singh told Reporters in Raipur "We have proposed the names of Mishra and Mrs Buch as mediators....

-The Telegraph Dispur is determined to launch a “constructive” television channel, stung by the “adverse” coverage of the recent Ulfa bandh during the Prime Minister’s visit by the local electronic media. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi revealed the government’s intention during an interaction with Reporters here this afternoon, explaining how most local TV channels had gone overboard with the bandh coverage on April 20. Incidentally, a day later, on April 21, West Bengal chief...

BIJLIPUR (PUNJAB): For some time now, the village of Bijlipur has been attracting a slew of local news TV crews and even Reporters from Canadian radio stations. The village has something that most of Punjab can't boast of: a sex ratio in favour of women. The state of Punjab along with Haryana is among the country's worst performers when it comes to sex ratio. The census 2011 figures record 893 females...

-AFP The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Monday urged regional governments to tackle rising income inequality with more urgency, warning any delay could undermine social cohesion and economic growth. Rajat Nag, ADB's managing director-general, said failing to address the problem now could spark further dissatisfaction and lead governments to resort to populist measures to appease their citizens. But populist measures like fuel subsidies and cash grants are taxing on state coffers and could result...