-Pragativadi Bhubaneswar: With the Centre restricting subsidised cooking gas cylinders to six per year, the Odisha government has been contemplating to provide certain relief to BPL families having LPG connections. The food, supplies and consumer welfare department has, sources said, undertaken an exercise with the LPG providing oil companies to work out a strategy for the purpose. Before taking any decision, the state government has proposed to seek information from the oil marketing...

-PTI Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and six other states having literacy levels less than the national average will get enhanced Central share under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan programme, with the Planning Commission approving a proposal to this effect. These states will be getting funds in the ratio of 75:25 as against the existing ratio of 65:35. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will also be included along with the northeastern states where funding...

-Outlook Alleging a Rs four lakh crore scam in iron ore mining as the state government kept renewal of licenses in abeyance, Union Minister Srikant Jena today demanded exclusive rights to Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) over minerals. "The scam relates to renewal of licenses. Official documents show of the 107 iron ore mines in Odisha, 83 are operating by using 'deemed to' clause of the mining law," the senior Congress leader told...

-IPS News RAYAGADA- The deafening din of the lunch gong is sweet music to the 200-odd tribal girls rushing down the stairway, clutching stainless steel plates and tumblers. Sikhsya Niketan (House of Education) in Chattikona administrative block of Rayagada district is a residential school meant exclusively for girls of the Dongria Kondh tribe in eastern Odisha state. The school is part of the federal government’s intensified efforts to take universal education to...

-The Times of India The government has allowed foreign investment in a host of sectors including multi-brand retail and civil aviation. The UPA government can expect a roaring reception from the financial markets following the decision. It can also prove to be a mood-enhancer for the Congress-led government as it heads into state polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. Here is how heads of various states responded to the government's decision: Will rollout Haryana...