-The Indian Express New body must retain the Commission's mechanisms for Centre-state discussion The prime minister spoke from the ramparts of the Red Fort this morning, putting to rest all speculation about the future of the Planning Commission. I write as a member of 10 years standing of this apex think-tank. The Planning Commission was the brainchild of Jawaharlal Nehru, who created it by cabinet order; it has no legislative sanction. Prime...

-India Today Geography of rice and wheat has been transformed with Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh generating surpluses Almost 50 years ago, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri went on air to appeal to Indians to skip a meal a day. Foodgrain supplies had come under strain after the 1965 drought, and the patriotic ethos cautioned against over-consumption: what you ate left that much less for the rest. Today, it is...

-The Hindu Business Line Edible oil, sugar prices drop sharply as rainfall deficit shrinks to 19% Mumbai: With the monsoon deficit shrinking and the Government keen to crack down on hoarders, prices of most essential commodities such as edible oil, sugar and wheat are showing signs of softening in the wholesale market. After a lacklustre start, the South-West monsoon has recovered since mid-July. The rainfall deficit has shrunk to 19 per cent currently.....

-The Business Standard Interview with Union minister in charge of food and public distribution Ever since the new government took office in May, food prices and related issues have been one of the most discussed subjects. Ram Vilas Paswan, the minister in charge of food and public distribution, says hoarders are to blame. And, speaks of the various other priorities under his charge. Edited exceprts of a talk with Sanjeeb Mukherjee: * The...

-The Times of India Women And Children In State Are Malnourished To A Shameful Extent Lucknow: Malnutrition among women and children remains abysmally high in Uttar Pradesh despite several thousand crores spent annually on supplementary nutrition programmes. According to data kept by the Union ministry of women and child development, UP is among the worst performing states in the area of underweight and malnutrition among children between the age group of 0 to...