-The Hindu It may be hard to believe, but it is true. Anyone travelling the length of the rural belt of Delhi that stretches from Badarpur border in South-East Delhi all the way to Narela in the northern periphery of the city, will not find a public toilet along the way. The reason being: all these years no one constructed any. And while many believe the rural population knows best how...

-The Times of India Direct transfer of benefits in cash to targeted beneficiaries of food and fertilizer subsidies could save an estimated Rs 60,000 cr and help trim the fiscal deficit which, in turn, may calm stubbornly high food inflation, a study by a government wing has shown. The study showed that policies to rein in food inflation would require winding down of the fiscal deficit, which has gone above 8% of...

-Reuters Global drugmakers, battered by recent intellectual property decisions in the country, are girding for a landmark court ruling on Monday with broad consequences for their ability to sell lucrative patented medicines in the country. Supreme Court is due to decide on April 1 whether or not Swiss giant Novartis AG's cancer treatment Glivec deserves a patent in the country. "Big Pharma is nervous because nothing has gone in their favour in the...

-Outlook A high-powered panel of the Environment Ministry has sought more details from Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) for its proposed Rs 23,502 crore nuclear power plant in Haryana before initiating steps for according it green clearance. The proposal is for setting up a nuclear power park (4x700 MWe), to be implemented in phases at Gorakhpur in Fatehabad district along with township for the project. The first phase will comprise...

-The Indian Express No country has ever achieved prosperity without engaging with science and technology (S&T). The ascent of the West and its global domination owes much to its prowess in S&T. In Asia, Japan and South Korea and more recently China have taken the highway to prosperity by mastering technology and effectively dealing with complexity. Chinese economist Justin Yufi Lin in his book The Quest for Prosperity has argued that...