-The Hindu The parliamentary stalemate continues on one of the greatest corruption scandals in Indian history. Allocation of natural resources has been a subject matter of public debate in the last two decades, particularly with the entry of the Private Sector in infrastructure development. Minerals are an important natural resource. The Private Sector has a great role to play in development of mineral-based industries. However, the policy of allocation of these...

-The Economic Times MUMBAI: Soaring diesel consumption by fleet owners, telecom companies to keep their towers running and malls to pamper their affluent customers is blowing up the theory that continuation of diesel subsidies is intended to help farmers and truckers in order to keep inflation low. Diesel consumption is growing at a rapid pace that is lining the pockets of the business community rather than the government's intention to help poor...

-Frontline Health activists say the health chapter of the Twelfth Plan document exaggerates the role of the Private Sector in providing health care. The draft chapter on health for the Twelfth Five Year Plan document not only is grossly inadequate in its approach but exaggerates to unrealistic levels the role of the Private Sector in providing health care. It invokes the concept of universal health care (UHC), but, critics say, it...

-Live Mint The Sonia Gandhi led-National Advisory Council (NAC) on Friday formed a working group on universal health coverage for phasing-in the roll-out of the proposed scheme in the 12th Five-Year Plan period. Meanwhile, differences persist between the health ministry and the Planning Commission on the role of insurance and the Private Sector within the universal health coverage (UHC) plan. Health ministry and Planning Commission officials presented their views to the NAC on...

-The Hindu Batting for about 30 lakh sugarcane farmers of Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has expressed his reservation over the Central Government’s proposal to de-regulate the sugar and cane sectors, which would effectively signal an end to the State’s control over reserving the cane area of the sugar mills and fixing the procurement price for the growers. At his meeting with the Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council,...