-The Telegraph New Delhi: The housing ministry is thinking of setting up an institute of urban planning that will act as a think tank as well as train personnel in city planning. The Prime Minister will chair the governing body of the institute, which will be located in Delhi. The Delhi Development Authority has sanctioned five acres for the institute, to be built with a budget of Rs 300 crore. The government plans...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Congress today indicated that the food security scheme would be its main electoral plank, describing it as the biggest ever government intervention in the world to fight hunger and malnutrition. President Pranab Mukherjee today signed the food security ordinance that entitles two-thirds of India's population to 5kg food grains every month at highly subsidised rates. The Centre plans to convert it into an act soon. Congress communications chief...

-The Business Standard Fear of bad monsoon has suddenly hiked vegetable and fruit prices by about 300% from the farm to your dining table Bangalore: Steep rise in prices of fruits and vegetables has resulted in over 55% of middle and low-income group families opting for pre-cooked and ready-to-eat food items to keep the kitchen budget intact, according to a survey. "The fear of bad monsoon has suddenly hiked the vegetables...

-The Times of India MUMBAI: Unable to prevent prices of vegetables and fruits from going through the roof, the state government is now promising their supply to Mumbaikars at reduced rates, a promise observers say needs to be taken with a pile of salt. Starting Monday, the government will-for the first time since 1999-sell vegetables and fruits at a price 30% lower than the current retail rate at select co-operative outlets...

-The Times of India The Parliament's monsoon session is only about a month away. That the Union CABinet has yet taken the ordinance route to implement the national food security Bill signals the scam-tainted UPA government's desperation to woo voters before the next general elections. But the hope that expanding what is already one of the world's largest food security programmes will boost political fortunes is hallucinatory. The exchequer is already...