-The Times of India MUMBAI: After an embarrassing show in 2009, India has backed out of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) slated for 2015. The programme is a global evaluation process by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) secretariat that gauges where schoolchildren stand alongside their peers from other countries. This academic Olympics measures the performance of 15 year olds in reading, math and science. Indians were put...

-Down to Earth Report by children's non-profit links childhood malnourishment to educational performance, adult income and GDP Malnutrition decrease the gross domestic product (GDP) in low- and middle-income countries, says a report by international non-profit Save the Children. Malnutrition affects educational development, physical productivity and health, and also perpetuates inequalities, such as those created by caste in India, says the report. The report, Food for thought: Tackling child malnutrition to unlock potential...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: Petrol could become costlier by about 4 a litre if the government compels oil firms to sell 5% ethanol-blended petrol across the country by next month as these companies would be forced to import huge quantities of the biofuel at exorbitant rates. But, the Cabinet, which will meet soon to discuss the issue, may relax compulsory doping as it would want petrol prices to rise sharply, months...

-The Business Standard Why government policy and jobless growth have let inequality worsen in recent times The Forbes list of billionaires features 55 Indians in 2013. The estimated net worth of only the top ten is $102.1 billion or approximately 5.5 per cent of India's gross domestic product. Paradoxically, every third poor person and every second malnourished child in the world is also an Indian. India also adds 7.5 million babies with...

-The Business Standard Why have Indian authorities woken up to the Ranbaxy case only now? The matter had been simmering for several years The Ranbaxy affair is one of the darkest chapters of India's business history. The company has admitted it fudged data so that it could launch its products in the United States. It has now paid $500 million as a penalty to settle the case. It is worse than Ramalinga...