-The Business Standard The Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, like its United Progressive Alliance (UPA) predecessor, seems to be failing on suo motu disclosures under the Right to Information Act (RTI). The department of personnel & training (DoPT) had last month issued an official memorandum directing all central ministries and departments to upload replies to RTI applications and first appeals on their respective websites from October 31. This had...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Top selling medicine brands for stress, hypertension, HIV, pain and pneumonia may soon become cheaper. The drug price regulator National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is set to bring in at least 100 new drugs under price control to include combinations, dosages and strengths that are commonly prescribed by doctors and sold by pharmacists. For instance, currently only one strength of Paracetamol is under price control, whereas...

-The Hindu "Rs. 40,000-crore component is for the whole country" The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is not going to restrict the implementation of MGNREGA to a few pocket of the country, the new Minister for Rural Development Chaudhary Birendra Singh, said on Tuesday. Mr. Singh was responding to questions over whether the government was planning to restrict the scheme's implementation to only tribal and poor areas - 2500 blocks of all States -...

-The Business Standard CVC says provide protection to officer, investigate corruption; MCI president denies all allegations Union health minister Harsh Vardhan has kicked up yet another controversy by ordering the removal of the chief vigilance officer of the Medical Council of India (MCI), H K Jethi, instead of providing him protection after he complained of harassment and threats. This is the second time Vardhan has decided to remove an anti-graft officer. Earlier, he...

-The Hindu Reports that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government intends to radically restructure the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) have re-ignited public discussion on the scheme. Since its launch, debate on MGNREGA has been synonymous with ideological contestations on the role of the state and its welfare functions. Inevitably, the contours of the debate have been shrill, leaving little space for an evidence-based discussion on the...