-The Hindu With the era of cheap, bountiful water having been replaced by increasing supply-and-quality constraints, many international investors are beginning to view water as the new oil There is a popular, tongue-in-cheek saying in America - attributed to the writer Mark Twain, who lived through the early phase of the California Water Wars - that "whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over." It highlights the consequences, even if...

-The Indian Express Starting today, The Indian Express tracks how MP Local Area Development funds have been spent in various districts, based on third-party audits. Last month, Rahul Gandhi said in Sevagram, Maharashtra, that half the country's MPs want their local area development (MPLAD) scheme to end. "If you ask MPs, at least 50 per cent of them will tell you put an end to this scheme because... the scheme does not...

-The Hindu Increased rebel activity made it impossible for anyone to commute outside Jagargunda unless they left permanently, as the original inhabitants and the new entrants were marked as Salwa Judum supporters, and overtly boycotted by the Maoist-controlled villages surrounding the enclave. In Jagargunda, a large village in south Chhattisgarh, the villagers have been waiting for their winter rations for more than two months. Ordinarily, this would not be news but Jagargunda...

-Outlook Following are the highlights of interim budget 2014-15: Income tax rates kept unchanged 10 pc surcharge on 'super-rich' having annual income above Rs 1 crore to continue 10 pc surcharge on domestic corporates with income of Rs 10 crore Foodgrain production estimated at 263 million tonnes in 2013-14 Fiscal deficit at 4.6 pc in 2013-14...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: From this week, people can register complaints of Mobile phone thefts, forgery and petty disputes with Delhi Police over the phone. Other than starting a helpline to register such complaints, police also plan to have a helpline for people from the northeast states and for foreign nationals. These measures were announced by police commissioner B S Bassi, as part of the modernization plans for Delhi Police,...