Economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, currently the Lamont University Professor and Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University believes that mere economic growth cannot be equated with the wellness of people. Social indicators are an equally important measure. In Bangalore for the presentation of the Infosys Prize for 2011 ( Sen is the jury chair for social sciences), he spoke to TOI on a variety of topics. Excerpts: Q:...

Agrarian distress and growing awareness among farmers, tired of poll-time rhetoric and freebies, may make it tougher for political parties to woo this large electorate with worn-out promises in the upcoming assembly polls.  Ahead of elections in five states, including in Uttar Pradesh, the country's most populous and politically-critical state, many farmers say they are ready to pay market rates for power and other inputs provided there is reliable supply.  Swarn Singh,...

-The Times of India   "The cold, not cancer, may kill me" - the TOI story on the pitiable condition of patients and relatives braving the biting cold in wait for a bed in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) drew an anguished reaction from the Supreme Court, which on Friday asked the Delhi government to urgently set up a night shelter either inside or close to the prestigious hospital. A bench...

-The Economic Times   It doesn't need economists, environmentalists or water conservation experts to tell us that the promise of free water is a disastrous idea. It will encourage farmers to cultivate water-guzzling crops. And in the process, it will lower water table levels, making water an even more precious commodity.  But this is election season when parties consider the exchequer as candy-vending machines. It is also the season when bad politics prevails...

-Agence France-Presse Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called malnutrition in the country "a national shame" on Tuesday as he released a major survey that found 42% of children under five were underweight. "I repeat that the problem of malnutrition is a matter of national shame," Singh said at the launch of the HUNGaMA (Hunger and Malnutrition) Report, which surveyed 73,000 households across nine states. "Despite impressive growth in our GDP, the level of under-nutrition...