-Outlook The PM would do well to incorporate the Lok Nayak's convictions and what he stood for and not ape alien models to make India's villages as mere markets and show-pieces Narendra Modi was different from other Prime Ministers while addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15 August 2014. He spoke of governing India through sahmati (consensus) not bahumati (majority) and sought the cooperation of people and...

-The Times of India AHMEDABAD: The state government may be celebrating the next two weeks as the 'women's empowerment fortnight'. But the census 2011 data, which was released recently, shows that nearly 70.33% of the women in Gujarat who are in their prime working age group of 15 years to 34 years, are of no economic value for their families or state. A large section of these are literate and are...

-Press Information Bureau/ Ministry of HRD As per the District Information System for Education (DISE), the average annual drop-out rate among girl students at upper primary level has decreased to 4.01% in 2013-14 from 6.08% in 2011-12. The Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme provides for a multi-pronged approach to check drop out amongst girls through inter-alia, enhancing access to primary & upper primary schools by opening schools within one kilometer and three...

-The Times of India   NEW DELHI: Seeking to spur agricultural growth, the Centre will soon launch a comprehensive plan to provide 'Soil Health Card' to all farmers across the country. The card will carry crop-wise recommendations of nutrients/fertilizers required for farms, making it possible for farmers to improve productivity by wisely using inputs. A computerized system will be developed, allowing local agriculture science centres to keep details of 'soil test' results. Soil...

-The Citizen.in This piece is a rejoinder to an article by D K Joshi, which appeared in ‘The Indian Express' on June 4, 2014. The main arguments made by the author are neither new nor unique. Many neoliberal economists, including some occupying crucial policy-making positions have been making arguments which propose dilution of Minimum Support Price (MSP) policies to take care of excess food stocks with the government and also control...