-The Times of India CHENNAI: The city corporation seems to be leaving no stone unturned in its effort to market the popular Amma canteen scheme. Every team of visiting officials, the civic body's officials ensure, is shown around at least one of the subsidized canteens. The visitors, from across the country or even abroad, may have come to study the style of functioning of the city administration but get to see one...

-The Indian Express Rajasthan government's decision to ‘target' free medicines and diagnostics is contrary to the recommended role of government in healthcare. In 2002-03, Abhijit Banerjee, Angus Deaton and Esther Duflo studied health facilities in rural Udaipur, Rajasthan. They found that facilities were poor and absenteeism was rampant. In 2013, we decided to revisit the same public health facilities. The motivation was to study two bold initiatives of the then Ashok Gehlot...

-Down to Earth Secretary for food processing denies any knowledge of Harsimrat Kaur Badal speaking to PepsiCo's Indra Nooyi to provide processed food under nutrition scheme for school children Media reports about the government holding talks with the multi-national beverage company, PepsiCo, to provide processed food under the Mid Day Meal scheme, has angered food rights and child rights activists. They are planning to organise protests against any such move. The reports followed...

-The Business Standard The Planning Commission needs to be replaced by institutions prescribed under the Constitution for the functions it usurped The Planning Commission was a powerful centre of extra-constitutional authority, but not because the Constitution overlooked the need for the roles that it played. The prescription of fiscal flows from Centre to states was assigned under Article 280 to Finance Commissions, set up every five years with what by convention...

-The Times of India MUMBAI: Treatment for HIV patients across India has taken a hit, especially in Delhi and Mumbai, due to severe stock-outs of life-saving medicines reported at government-owned centres. Shortage of first-line (initial), second-line (advanced) and paediatric HIV drugs, besides crucial diagnostic kits, has prompted patient groups to send a legal notice to the government, pointing to the scarcity, gaps in procurement and supply of these drugs. The treatment and control...