-Outlook   In the last six months, the Government has transferred over Rs 2,000 crore in the accounts of 40 million consumers under the Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG (DBTL) scheme in 184 districts. "The scheme thus far has been a stupendous success with more than 40 million cash transfers to the consumer's bank accounts. A total sum of over 2,000 crore has been transferred in these high Aadhaar coverage districts providing direct...

-Outlook A surge in food prices ripped common man's pockets as the UPA government paid for its failure in the assembly polls in four states and may feel the heat in next year's general elections as well if it is not controlled. Prices of kitchen essentials such as onions spiked to a record Rs 100 per kg and tomatoes touched Rs 80 in some states during the year, pushing the food inflation...

-The Telegraph Networks of private hospitals across India today said they would stop providing cashless services to beneficiaries of government-funded healthcare schemes from January 15 next year, citing delays in payments and "low" charges set by the government. Members of the Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI) said beneficiaries of the Central Government Health Scheme would need to pay for any treatment they seek from that date onwards and seek reimbursement...

-The Business Standard The only way to fix food inflation Both the inflation figures for November and current market reports indicate that the contours of food inflation have changed tangibly of late. While the prices of pulses, edible oils and sugar have tended to either moderate or decline, those of staple cereals, notably rice and wheat, and of perishable items, chiefly vegetables and fruits, continue to propel food inflation higher. The blame...

-The United Nations About 70 per cent of new diseases infecting humans in recent decades have come from animals, the United Nations food agency today reported, warning that it is getting easier for diseases jump species and spread as the population, agriculture and food-supply chains grow. The ongoing expansion of agricultural lands into wild areas, coupled with a worldwide boom in livestock production, means that "livestock and wildlife are more in contact...