-The Hindu   Bill aims at making ethical committees looking into trials ‘robust' A legislation to monitor the entire research on human bodies by a single authority is likely to be introduced in the winter session of Parliament, according to V.M. Katoch, Secretary, Department of Health Research. The Bill will seek to make the ethical committees, presently looking into clinical trials on human beings, ‘robust' by constituting a monitoring mechanism over them. It was felt...

An unholy nexus between various healthcare providers, including doctors and private hospitals, has become a stumbling block in delivering benefits to the people at a time when Dispur is pumping in huge funds to bring improvement in the health sector. This was revealed in a multiple-stage survey conducted by Consumer Unity & Trust Society International, a reputed NGO. The survey has found that the government’s various welfare schemes like providing free medicines...

Women’s stepping out of their homes to work is often seen as a symbol of empowerment. But what if girls and young women are first lured to work in factories on the false promise of decent wage, comfortable accommodation and payment of a lump sum amount at the end of 3 years contract, and then made to toil for pittance and their labour rights are violated? A report titled: Captured...

Land is contentious. With urbanisation and demand for non-agricultural use, coupled with lack of employment and skills for those in small-holder and subsistence-level agriculture, this is understandable. In western Europe, especially in Britain, and more especially in England, land markets were freed up before the Industrial Revolution and access to education and skills became more broad-based. We haven't introduced reforms that enable people to move out of agriculture, or diversify...

-The Times of India   Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday flagged amendments to land acquisition law, allowing more foreign investment in retail trading and insurance and introduction of good and services tax (GST) as the key reforms agenda of the government. "I think the first thing is to sustain the momentum of growth that we have built," PM said during a meeting with a group of editors. But a key...