-The Hindu Union Railway Minister C.P. Joshi has announced the decision to constitute a Rail Tariff Authority, based on which the next hike in passenger fares and freight rates will be effected. The Tariff Authority is an attempt at insulating the Railways from various hikes being effected by the government, including on fuel price, which officials regard as having made the operation of the Railways in the current situation unviable. Addressing the Economic...

-The Times of India GURGAON: US retail giant Walmart is planning a series of partnerships with small and mid-level suppliers in India across product categories to create a big list of private label brands that will be priced substantially lower - as much as 10-15% - than established products and brands. The move is part of the company's strategy to go deeper into the Indian market and create cost-effective and efficient...

-The Economic Times The India of today would, perhaps, be among the most emotion-driven societies in the world. There would have been nothing wrong per se in this if emotions determined how an individual were to live his or her life, and influenced personal decisions. The big danger is when emotions become the Rosetta Stone to interpret the current and emerging needs of the nation, putting aside facts, objectivity, scientific temperament...

-Mainstream Weekly Intense and motivated propaganda, powerful national and international diplomatic pressure, verging on pure and simple arms-twisting of the kind the Third World has been facing for decades by means of the active role of the econo-mic hit-men in the policy establishments, huge cash-back lobbying, both in India and abroad, blunt attempts to bamboozle the persons holding key positions in India’s policy establishment through a combination of hissing and kissing...

-The Times of India The government spent Rs 15.50 lakh on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's visits abroad between 2006 and 2011, according to data accessed through RTI. The Prime Minister's Office on Friday had said the government did not incur any expenses on Sonia's travel. The statement sought to differentiate between spending by the government and cost borne by the Special Protection Group for the security contingent. The Rs 15 lakh spent is...