-The Indian Express "If we did not have a patent system, it would be irresponsible, on the basis of our present knowledge of its economic consequences, to recommend instituting one." So said Fritz Machlup, a wise American economist several decades ago. His words remain as true now as they were then. For, the patent system is one of the most faulty legal regimes that one could possibly have conceived. It purports...

-The Hindu Occupational and geographic mobility across the region are bridging income and consumption-related disparities, says the World Bank report, ‘Addressing Inequality in South Asia'. The findings accordingly underscore the role of urbanisation and private sector participation as being critical to mitigating socio-economic disadvantages. Inequality should be understood in terms of monetary and non-monetary dimensions of well-being, contends the report. The share of the poorest 40 per cent of households...

-The Hindustan Times Tiger population in India is estimated to be 2,226 in 2014, according to a new report released on Tuesday. The big cat population in 2010 was an estimated 1,706. The number in the central Indian landscape had gone down four years ago. "While the tiger population is falling in the world, it is rising in India. It is a great news," environment minister Prakash Javadekar said. "Never before such an exercise...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: In significant step towards adopting green fuel, the railways have launched their first CNG train. Railway minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off the train, run on dual fuel system - diesel and CNG - on the Rewari-Rohtak section of northern zone. An official said introduction of CNG trains will reduce greenhouse gas emission and also cut the transporter's fuel bill by reducing consumption of diesel. The minister, who...

-The Hindu Known for their hunting skills, the Yanadis catch 30 to 40 rats each day against odds in the slushy paddy fields ONGOLE (Andhra Pradesh): Pied piper got rid of rat menace by just playing his pipe in the German town of Hamelin in the medieval period, according to a legend. The job of pest controllers is not that easy as playing a tune on one's pipe despite advancement in science and...