-The Economic Times Over the past 15 months, rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has made more than 150 visits to 41 of the 82 Naxal-affected districts. Emerging as the government's face in these remote areas, Ramesh talks to ET about the efforts and progress needed to contain the Maoist influence. * Fifteen months of "development" focus in the Naxal-affected areas. What's the progress? It's a mixed bag: some progress in Jharkhand, West...

-DNA 1. The equality of women, being integral to the Constitution, its denial is a sacrilege and a constitutional violation. Sustained constitutional violations mean that governance is not in accordance with the Constitution. A fortiori, all limbs of the State - the executive, the legislature as well as the judiciary -must respect women’s rights and must treat them in a non-discriminatory manner. 2. As a primary recommendation, all marriages in India (irrespective...

-The Times of India MUMBAI: The state government will spend Rs2,000 crore over the next five years to build health infrastructure across rural Maharashtra. Sources said the government is scouting for land to set up a 300-bed super specialty hospital in the eastern and western suburbs of Mumbai. Currently, there is no such hospital in the suburbs. Nearly 42 trauma care centres are to be set up along national and state highways The rural...

-Frontine The finalised chapter on health in the 12th Plan document envisages a large role for the private sector in health care. A chapter on health prepared for the draft 12th Five Year Plan Document in July received a lot of criticism for its limited understanding of universal health care and its diluted commitment to increase public expenditure on health. If the revised version is any indication, there has not been...

-The Hindu ‘In-patients will have to pay up if private agencies are allowed to use diagnostic centres to serve external customers’ The Chhattisgarh government’s move to outsource diagnostic services in public health facilities has evoked a sharp reaction from health activists, who fear that it will destroy laboratory services. The government has issued a request for proposals for private partnership in radiology and laboratory services in 379 public health facilities. Three categories of...