-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Union Cabinet on Thursday referred the MB Shah commission of inquiry report on illegal mining in Odisha to the committee of secretaries (CoS) to suggest further action which may include recovery of nearly Rs 60,000 crore from the miners and a CBI probe into roles of public servants in allocating mines to private companies. The commission has severely indicted both the Centre and the Odisha government...

-Outlook Jammu: In a bid to check drop out rates in schools and ensure attendance of staff, the Jammu and Kashmir government has given powers to the panchayats to oversee functioning of schools. This information was given at a meeting of Committee on Government Assurance of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council held here under the chairmanship of MLC S Dharambir Singh Oberoi to discuss and examine status of various government assurances. The panchayats...

-The Indian Express New Delhi: It was an unusually quiet protest. Around 500 people gathered at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday evening, held a candle light vigil, while communicating to each other their thoughts on the disability rights Bill. There were people in wheelchairs, people who cannot hear and those who cannot speak. But that did not lead to an unenthusiastic protest. Excited hand gestures and facial expressions could be seen in...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Moving at a feverish pitch to fulfill the second most important of his poll promises, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal gave 80% of the capital's electricity consumers cause to ring in the new year with much cheer. They will be paying half of what they had to pay so far with the tariff for consumption up to 400 units a month slashed by 50%, thanks to...

-World Resources Institute India struggles with water scarcity, a problem that poses especially huge implications for the country's food security and rural livelihoods. The country has long-battled its scarcity issues through Watershed Development, a participatory approach to improve water management through afforestation and reforestation, sustainable land management, soil and water conservation, water-harvesting infrastructure, and social interventions. But while watershed development has been employed in communities throughout India, its potential long-term costs...