-The Times of India In what could turn out to be its calling card for the 2014 general elections, the government is finalizing a Rs 7,000 crore scheme to give one mobile phone to every family living below the poverty line. Sources in the PMO said the scheme—Har Hath Mein Phone—expected to be announced by PM Manmohan Singh on August 15, will not only aim to give away mobiles to around six...

-The Economic Times The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India's overseas intelligence agency, has told the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate that it has unearthed hawala transactions allegedly linked to former telecom minister A Raja.  RAW has written to the investigative agencies - the Communication was sent at the end of July - asking them to take "necessary action", a top government official told ET on condition of anonymity.  The...

-The Hindu It is shocked to hear that bodies are cut into pieces and disposed of for lack of money   The Supreme Court on Friday expressed shock at the inhuman disposal of the bodies of widows, who lived in government shelter homes at Vrindavan, by chopping them into pieces on the plea of lack of money for proper cremation. A Bench of Justices D.K. Jain and Madan B. Lokur directed the Uttar Pradesh...

-Tehelka The district administration in Karauli has undertaken steps to ban the practice after Change.org's Video Volunteers brought the discriminatory practice into light  When 39-year-old Sunita Kasera, a journalist for Video Volunteers, was sipping tea one hot afternoon in Dangariya village, eastern Rajasthan, she noticed something peculiar. Many women, who left their houses with their footwear on, would abruptly remove them in the middle of the road and wear them again after...

-PTI Amid growing political opposition in India for easing of foreign investment norms in retail and other sectors, US-based companies like Wal-Mart and Prudential Financial are lobbying hard with their own lawmakers here to garner support for their Indian business expansion plans. As per their latest lobbying disclosure reports filed with the House of Representatives and the Senate, the US-based companies and industry groups spent millions of dollars since the beginning of...