-Down to Earth The fracas over India's refusal to meet the deadline on trade facilitation exposes rich nations' double standards NOTHING HAS exposed the double standards at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) than the current uproar over the implementation of two agreements at the global trade policing organisation. One, termed Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes, protects the food security concerns of millions of the poor and the livelihood of millions of...

-The Hindu Kolkata: A controversy erupted here on Tuesday over a notice issued by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to the West Bengal Government citing a media report which claims that "nearly 1000 people have died due to malnutrition in three closed tea gardens in Jalpaiguri district and two in Alipurduar district". A press release issued by the NHRC on Monday stated that the Commission has "taken suo motu cognizance" and...

-The Hindu Business Line   Perpetual growth is a piece of nonsense. The focus should be on protecting livelihoods through sustainable means Construct a building, demolish it, reconstruct, break it down again, and go on repeating this meaningless exercise. You will have economic growth, as currently measured. But no net gain in employment during the endless cycle of construction and demolition, no net increase in productive capacity, and no appreciable change in poverty...

-The Times of India   CHENNAI: NGOs across the country are feeling the heat with an Intelligence Bureau report accusing many of them, including one run by Tamil Nadu-based anti-nuclear activist S P Udayakumar, of receiving foreign aid to instigate agitations and stall developmental projects in the country. For many years now, TN has been recording the second highest foreign aid receipts by NGOs, next only to Delhi. According to the Union home...

-Live Mint   Voters who gave the Congress its worst drubbing did not reject its welfare agenda, but its performance There are many who interpret the emphatic rejection of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the significant endorsement of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the elections of 2014 as a mandate to end the architecture of rights-based legislation for social and economic welfare constructed during the 10-year UPA regime. Commentators opposed...