-PTI Contribution by the beneficiary to be lower compared to Centre's policy Mumbai: To cater to the growing need for housing in the state, Maharashtra government will soon bring a 'Housing for All' policy aimed for people living in urban areas. An official in the State Housing department said the policy will be an improvised, practical and a better version of the Centre's 'Housing for All by 2022'. Maharashtra is nearly 50% urbanised and...

-The Times of India CHENNAI: Corporation of Chennai insists that private hospitals reserve 10 per cent of their beds for admission of poor patients free of cost according to the guidelines of the Nursing Homes Regulatory Act. It also mandates that private hospitals submit periodical monthly reports to the health officer to register a nursing home and hospital with beds in the city. Of the 700 private hospitals in Chennai, few, if...

-The Hindu When Sreenivasan took up farming, the thumb rule was that pesticides would not be used Kochi: As we go about farming the fields using fertilisers and pesticides, who’s tending the dense and diverse vegetation in forests — which have more fruit-bearing trees and edible roots? The question by Subhash Palekar, noted propounder of zero-budget farming, got actor Sreenivasan thinking about modern farming practices. “Everything that’s there to nurture vegetables and fruits...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government has strongly favoured retention of the capital Punishment with the two government-appointed nominees submitting their dissent notes on the Law Commission's recommendation on phased abolition of death penalty. The panel, in its 242-page report submitted to the government and the Supreme Court on Monday, recommended abolition of death penalty for all crimes other than terrorism-related offences and waging war against the country. Releasing...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Shying away from a blanket ban on death penalty the Law Commission is likely to recommend "gradual" abolition in all cases, except terror-related ones, as practiced in countries like the United Kingdom. Following extensive consultations, the panel has proposed that heinous crimes be meted out harsher Punishments ranging from 30-60 years as practiced in states like Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The panel headed by Justice A P Shah...