-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Accepting the argument of political parties that poll promises or "freebies" are related to the Directive Principles of State Policy, the Election Commission is considering a pragmatic set of guidelines that would allow freebies as long as they are targeted at the economically and socially weaker sections, religious minorities, women and populations living in remote, border or insurgency/disaster-hit areas. Directive principles are broad policy guidelines considered...

-The Hindu Many States have been improving their Public Distribution System over the last five years On Tuesday, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh criticising the National Food Security Bill (NFSB) for not being expansive enough. What Mr. Modi omitted to mention is that the same complaint could be made of the existing Public Distribution System (PDS) in his own state. The most significant difference between the PDS...

-Deccan Herald My house help asked me the other day: "Sahib ji, TV news tells me those earning more than Rs 1,000 a month are not poor. How can this be true? Although I am earning Rs 5,000 every month working at your home, I mop up your floor and wash your dishes. If I was rich why should I be doing cleaning job here?" Mohan used to be a helper in...

-The Hindu Allahabad: With her legs crossed and hands folded, 10-year-old Shivani sits quietly on her bed at the Kamla Nehru Regional Cancer Centre's (RCC) Jawahar ward, named after the country's first Prime Minister. "I want to grow up to be a doctor. I like playing the doctor and using needles (injections)," she replied to this correspondent's query. Shivani's father Suresh Kesharwani, mother Bimla and elder brother Rohit (17) look on anxiously. Shivani...

-The Hindu Per capita entitlements under the food security bill will not cover beneficiaries as comprehensively as household entitlements The government hopes to secure in this session of Parliament, approval for the National Food Security Bill (NFSB) so that it can replace the food security ordinance. The NFSB, on which the ordinance is based, guarantees supplementary nutrition services through anganwadis for all children under six, midday meals for schoolchildren, and, very importantly, maternity...