-The Indian Express New delhi: Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) a flagship programme of his government, BJP-ruled states seem to be lagging behind in linking these accounts with Aadhaar - the first step towards enabling direct benefit transfers. Among the large states which accounted for over 10 lakh Jan Dhan accounts as on November 12, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh top the list,...

-The Indian Express Proposing a complete overhaul of the existing environmental governance framework, a government-appointed expert committee has recommended measures that would make it easier to set up industrial or infrastructure projects, but would also ensure that those who flout pollution norms or violate green laws are penalised heavily. Among the measures suggested by the four-member committee headed by former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanian are: creation of new institutions...

-The Telegraph New delhi: The capital's babus are feeling wanted. At last, a government seems to care about their "happiness", "satisfaction" and "contribution". A recent government circular prods civil servants to do voluntary social service for "internal happiness". Another requests each soon-to-retire official to write a 1,000-word paper on his or her "outstanding" contribution - for their own "satisfaction" and to inspire junior colleagues. They must, however, restrict themselves to personal innovations that...

-Livemint Is it really smart to create smart cities? Or should we reverse our thinking to concentrate on making smart villages? New delhi: What is smarter: building smart cities or smart villages? In 1967, I was born in a village called Islampur in Nautan block near Bettiah town in the West Champaran district of Bihar. My father soon got a job at the Heavy Engineering Corporation Ltd (HEC) in Ranchi, and our...

-The Times of India The Medical Council of India has summoned about 300 doctors from across the country to delhi to answer questions on an anonymous complaint that they had been bribed by a pharmaceutical firm. About 100 of these doctors appeared before MCI's ethics committee on Monday. According to the complaint, the Ahmedabad-based pharma company has been paying doctors lakhs of rupees as well as gifting them cars and flats and...