-The Hindustan Times Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh, who recently took a dig at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee over her remarks that the UPA Government is "brain-dead", showered lavish praises on the chief minister on Thursday even describing her as a role model of political mobilisation in Maoist-affected areas. "I wish other chief ministers follow Banerjee's political approach for Maoist-affected areas. She has transformed the Jangalmahal area of her...

-The Hindustan Times In an attempt that could help UPA 2 tide over the anti-incumbency factor and yield political dividends in 2014, the rural development ministry is proposing to cover 60 lakh additional below-poverty-line (BPL) people under its pension schemes. The proposals, including enhanced pension payouts, would cost the central exchequer an additional Rs. 9,500 crore. The recommendations of a committee under the ministry, if accepted, would add to the 260 lakh beneficiaries...

-The Business Standard If the Cabinet clears the proposed policy, the Department of Pharmaceuticals would have to notify this before the SC?s next hearing on the matter on Nov 27 The Cabinet is likely to take up the proposed National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy tomorrow, government sources said. The policy is aimed at capping the prices of 348 essential medicines at the weighted average of all drugs in a particular segment, with...

-The Times of India The mystery of the missing detail in official files on why some coal block applicants won while others lost out is proving to be the biggest hurdle in the Centre's bid to ward off the threat of the Supreme Court scrapping all allocations. Aware that an unfavourable verdict on Coalgate will be a body blow to its bid to push-start the economy, the government is planning a careful...

-The Economic Times AHMEDABAD: Wheat output may remain stable this season due to remunerative prices and sufficient water availability. However, agriculture officials feel that the delay in announcing wheat MSP for rabi season might deter farmers. "We don't see a drop in wheat acreage this year and the production should clock similar to that of previous year's 93.90 million tonne. It will be too early to say that the area will increase...