-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) wants the Narendra Modi government to give it Right to Information (RTI) powers as it has been facing problems in obtaining details relevant to its audits of government finances and decision making. CAG Shashi Kant Sharma has written a letter to finance minister Arun Jaitley demanding that the national auditor should be given RTI powers to access information and a...

-The Indian Express New body must retain the Commission's mechanisms for Centre-state discussion The prime minister spoke from the ramparts of the Red Fort this morning, putting to rest all speculation about the future of the Planning Commission. I write as a member of 10 years standing of this apex think-tank. The Planning Commission was the brainchild of Jawaharlal Nehru, who created it by cabinet order; it has no legislative sanction. Prime...

-The Guardian Scares over lizard and worms in food highlight flaws in flagship programme as India struggles to reach most remote schools Karulihai (Madhya Pradesh): The dirt roads leading to the village of Karulihai in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh make for a bumpy ride. As clouds of dust settle on the windscreen, it's easy to miss the one-room school that stands in the middle of the field. Voices of children,...

-The Times of India CHANDIGARH: Crimes and atrocities against dalits in Haryana have gone up by about two-and-a-half times during 2004-2013, compared to 1994-2003 period. Figures complied by National Confederation of Dalit Organizations (NACDOR) from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports suggest amanifold increase in the number of cases related to assault, murder and sexual assault of Dalit women, especially incidents of gang rapes, over the past four years. According to data released...

-The Telegraph Shillong: Scientists have urged farmers in Meghalaya to adopt "climate-smart agriculture" by adhering to recommended climate change mitigation strategies as various parts of the Northeast are facing a drought-like situation because of global warming. An awareness-cum-training programme on Contingency Plan for Drought-like Situation was held recently at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for the northeastern region in Umiam under the National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture project. According to...