-Livemint.com Little has changed in terms of Infrastructure gap between India’s rich and poor states between 2005-06 and 2014-15 From expressways in Uttar Pradesh to road tunnels in Jammu and Kashmir, large Infrastructure projects are showcased by state governments as examples of development politics. Have these efforts been successful in bridging the Infrastructure gap between Indian states? A look at the changes in the Mint state Infrastructure index between 2005-06 and 2014-15 shows...

-The Telegraph Jamshedpur: As water scarcity forces many urban residents to rely on tanker dole, a village around 35km southeast of Jamshedpur enjoys piped drinking water 24/7 thanks mainly to self-help. All 1,617 residents of over 300 households of Durku village in Kuldiha panchayat, Potka block, get safe tap water to drink. The reason behind it is surprising. Swajaldhara, a UPA-I drinking water scheme based on self-financing, which largely failed in the country...

-Livemint.com An advance review of drought preparedness will help mitigate the impact of any sub-par rains on farmers, says agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh New Delhi: Despite the government’s weather office forecasting a normal south-west monsoon in 2017, agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh on Monday wrote to all state chief minister’s asking them to be ready with contingency plans in case of poor rains. An advance review of drought preparedness will help mitigate...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today highlighted "contradictions" in the Narendra Modi government's anti-Maoist policy, accusing it of stopping key security and development schemes in the rebel zones. He questioned the utility of convening security review meetings with the chief ministers of the Maoist-hit states - like the one held in Delhi today - when the Centre was not releasing funds to fight the rebels. Union home minister Rajnath...

-The Hindu Business Line Sees enhanced infra spending, higher consumption New Delhi: While noting that demonetisation of high value currency by the government last year will help bring in more taxpayers into the tax net, the United Nations ESCAP in a new report has said that more measures will be required to fight black money in the future. “The measure did not, by itself, impede future black money flows in new denominations. …...