-The Hindu Minister of State for Power (Independent Charge) Jyotirditya Scindia on Tuesday said the government was making efforts to fast-track nearly 95 hydro power projects with a capacity of 40,000 MW to give a big push to the power sector. The projects are awaiting clearances from different authorities, including Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Central Water Commission (CWC) and Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). "We are fast-tracking each and every...

-AP WASHINGTON: Millions of sex-selective abortions in India have skewed gender ratios, and the origins of the problem can be traced to American-supported population control strategies decades ago, a US congressional panel heard Tuesday. Republican Rep. Chris Smith, a staunch opponent of abortion, took up the issue at the House subcommittee on global health and human rights at a hearing titled, "India's Missing Girls." The panel has often been a forum for tough...

-The Telegraph Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee government today announced a scheme to allow big private investors to directly procure farm produce - a segment that Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee could not liberate from the stranglehold of the Forward Bloc. The scheme titled Brihat Krishak Bazar Yojana, which loosely translates into mega farmer market programme, seeks to "connect the local market to high-growth demand centres" and weed out middlemen. The project will allow private developers to...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) was supposed to be a game-changer ahead of the 2014 general elections, with the government Planning to plug leakages by transferring cash directly into the accounts of beneficiaries and hoping to cash in on their goodwill. But eight months down the line, it is discovering that the grand plan has run into bureaucratic walls and the beneficiaries are not ready to...

-PTI NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal has ordered an interim stay on cutting of trees in Manger village in Aravalli hills on a plea for withdrawing permission granted by authorities for non-forestry activities there. A bench headed by Justice S N Hussain issued notices and sought replies of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), Haryana government, directorate of town and country Planning, Faridabad and the forest department of Haryana by...