-The Hindu In a swift move that would surely choke the supply of weapons and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to Maoist guerrilla fighters in different States, the police busted well-organised weapon-making units in Kolkata and Mumbai on Thursday. Maoist cadres were using these workshops, in central locations of Kolkata and Mumbai, to fabricate rocket launchers, pressure-activated mines and hand grenades. The Kolkata and Mumbai raids led to seizure of bagfuls of parts...

-The United Nations   Global tea prices are set to stay strong through 2012, with demand driven by growth in Asia, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The agency’s Intergovernmental Group on Tea says that the high price of tea, which averaged $2.85 per kilogram in 2011, reflects the fact that demand for black tea – accounting for most of world production – has exceeded supply since 2009. The Group,...

  MGNREGA, which entitles millions of workers enrolled under it to at least Rs 100 a day for 100 days of work in a year, is undergoing an overhaul based on a set of recommendations of a committee headed by the Planning Commission member Mihir Shah.   Encapsulated in The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 - Operational Guidelines 2012 in what is being called “MGNREGA 2.0”, the recommendations aim for...

It's Okay to call a woman sexy. At least that's what the head of the National Commission of Women believes. At a seminar in Jaipur on Saturday, NCW chairperson Mamta Sharma said, "Don't be offended if someone says 'sexy', rather take it positively." The audience comprising students and sadhvis appeared stunned.  The 'Gateway to Future' seminar was organized by Terapanth, a socio-religious organization, to discuss various women's issues, including crimes against...

The controversy-hit Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu is set to be operationalized, with its first 1,000mw unit to be opened soon as the project's safety audits have been completed and local resistance now reduced to a few hundred protesters.  While the report of the expert group set up by the Tamil Nadu government is awaited, the state government is more supportive of the project being commissioned and the Centre's...