It is worrying that the Tendulkar method, chosen by the Planning Commission to calculate the poverty line in its latest figures, underestimates the levels of poverty while overestimating poverty reduction. The figures show that 29.8% or 360 million Indians were poor in 2009-10 as compared to 37.2% or 400 million in 2004-05. A poor person has been defined as one who spends R28 per day in urban areas and R22.5...

The Comptroller and Auditor-General has slammed the Narendra Modi government for financial irregularities, particularly for mismanagement of public sector undertakings, resulting in losses of over Rs. 16,000 crore. It has come down heavily on the state-owned Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) for extending “undue benefits” to the Chief Minister's “favoured few,” mainly Adani Energy and Essar Steel companies, which coupled with its poor management and faulty agreements on exploration of oil...

-DNA The Karnataka government will introduce an ordinance to make it mandatory for MBBS undergraduates and postgraduates to serve one year in rural areas, immediately after successful completion of the course. In the legislative assembly, chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda accepted the suggestion of Sharanaprakash Rudrappa Patil (Congress), who highlighted the issue of shortage of doctors in Mudhol community health centre in Sedam taluk and the number of vacant posts. Gowda said the...

-The Deccan Herald The State government, faced with severe shortage of doctors in rural areas, is likely to promulgate an ordinance to make one year of rural service mandatory for undergraduate and post-graduate medical students. Making an announcement to this effect in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said despite fixing a minimum salary of Rs 70,000, doctors were not coming forward to work in rural areas....

The Budget provides proof of the United Progressive Alliance government having forgotten the importance of its own “flagship schemes”. BUDGET 2012-13 provides conclusive proof that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has lost its way. It has managed the remarkable feat of upsetting almost everyone and making no one happy. The Budget is highly regressive in both taxation and spending terms and will raise prices of essentials, so aam aurat and...