For Union minister C P Joshi the failure to handle the UPA goverment's flagship programme of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) resulted in his transition from rural development to Surface Transport. Joshi had not acted on a letter from Congress president Sonia Gandhi to raise MGNREGA wages and also stood in contempt of an Andhra Pradesh High Court order. Joshi was earlier seen as a trusted man...

Winter in the Indian capital is a season of mists, minus the mellow fruitfulness. The air becomes charged with toxic emissions and particles that cannot disperse due to a meteorological phenomenon called "atmospheric inversion". According to B.P. Yadav, scientist with the meteorological department, atmospheric inversion is caused by a warming of the upper layers of the atmosphere, trapping colder air on the surface and, with it, vehicular and industrial emissions. "The immediate...

Offer insights into the working of government and throw up a wonderful cast of sidekicksIf the first tranche of the Niira Radia tapes showed the shocking penetration of the key pillars of the State by a powerful corporate lobbyist, the second instalment released by Outlook magazine takes the story further, offering delightful insights into the working of government and revealing a wonderful cast of sidekicks and supporting actors who cut...

Subterfuge is the favourite tool of the corrupt, when caught. That seems to be the case as the Union ministry of commerce and industry proceeds at an elephantine pace in its “inquiry” into the Rs 2,500-crore rice export scam reported in Outlook. Last year, on July 30, Parliament erupted in a furore over the revelation that despite a strict ban on exports, tonnes of 25 per cent broken, non-Basmati rice...

At a time when carbon aerosols including black carbon caused by incomplete combustion are being linked to global warming, an integrated national research programme will study its impact on public health, rainfall patterns and glacial health in the country. "While various institutes in the country have been working on aerosols, including black carbon for some time now, India needs to assume a major leadership role in aerosol science," Environment Minister Jairam...