-Live Mint Our food procurement policies may be lopsided but there is no link between the food security law and free trade The upcoming World Trade Organization (WTO) summit in Bali has attracted considerable attention in India because of its repercussions on our food policy. It is feared that the recently passed food security law will breach the negotiated limits on the aggregate measure of support (AMS) to farmers. AMS is...

-The United Nations The United Nations health agency today released new treatment guidelines for the almost 20 million children under the age of five worldwide who have severe acute malnutrition, including options for allowing them to recover at home, as well as treating those with HIV. "The guidelines are critical because many national health plans currently overlook children with severe acute malnutrition. This can be fatal. If these children don't get the...

-Outlook   Ahead of WTO meet in Bali, India today decided to insist on permanent immunity from actions for breach of subsidy level on rolling out food security plan-- a stand that can potentially derail talks next week. The Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided to insist on solution to the subsidy breach issue prior to finalisation of Trade Facilitation Agreement even if it means that New Delhi will be blamed...

-PTI In what would surely come as intriguing information for policy-makers, a Labour Ministry survey has found that with an increase in education levels in the country, the unemployment rate was also increasing across age groups. One out of every three persons in the age group 15 to 29 years who have completed at least their graduation has been found to be unemployed in the report on 'Youth employment- unemployment scenario, 2012-13'...

-The Hoot Survey methodology is good at explaining correlations between past and existing attitudes, but is poor at predicting future behaviour. And surveys can end up making the elections sound like a horse race, says ANUP KUMAR A controversy has been brewing over banning pre-poll surveys in India. The issue is worthy of a serious discussion - especially when it comes to transparency in methodology and the relevance of pre-poll surveys...