-Outlook India has the potential to lead the world in creating just and equitable societies, the head of UN's women empowerment body has emphasised and said men and boys can play an important role in achieving gender equality. "We need India in the leadership in changing status of women. For me it is very important that India leads in the kinds of changes that you want to see see 20 years after...

-The Hindustan Times A day after G-20 sherpa Suresh Prabhu said that India should not align with China on climate issues, the government distanced itself from his view with environment minister Prakash Javadekar saying it was his "personal" opinion. Prabhu comments had led to speculation that India may break away from the Basic group that has India and China with South Africa and Brazil. Javadekar refused to either confirm or deny reiterating...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Centre's ongoing efforts to streamline green clearance process for industrial, infrastructure, mining and power projects will soon get another boost with the environment ministry planning to launch a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based decision support mechanism this month which will help decision-makers in taking informed decision quickly and in a transparent manner. The GIS-based decision support system (DSS) will contain high resolution satellite imagery and ground...

-The Hindu   Instead of reinventing or restructuring the Planning Commission, we need to replace it with a think tank that supports high-quality independent research The Planning Commission is neither a constitutional nor a statutory body, but over the years it has acquired tremendous power of distant planning which is unsuitable to a country as diverse and complex as India. Let us neither reinvent nor restructure such a body. Let us, instead, make...

-The Times of India Blog The presidential address to Parliament on June 9, 2014 had focussed nearly exclusively on projects and schemes, eschewing policy. Therefore, many had eagerly awaited the budget speech for a policy vision of the new government. Unfortunately, it too left observers guessing on whether the government would tackle tough reforms or rely principally on better implementation. Had this been the budget of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), arguably...