-The Economic Times The government's ambitious plan for direct cash transfer of subsidies is facing implementation hurdles even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday set a January 1 deadline to roll out the scheme in 51 districts. While the PM's announcement was a formality, the petroleum ministry has pointed out that once the Cabinet approves the new mechanism on oil and LPG subsidies, it will take 11 months for a rollout. This...

-The Indian Express The UPA has long been planning a shift to direct cash transfers for poor households, with a view to replacing the 3.23 lakh crore worth of unwieldy subsidies currently in place. Last year, the then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had spoken of the famously inefficient food and fertiliser subsidies, and of a comprehensive overhaul through cash transfers. Now, that plan has been fleshed out further. The prime minister...

-PTI In an apparent show of unanimity, the report of the select committee on Lokpal Bill, which has recommended delinking creation of Lokayuktas in states from the central bill, is scheduled to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha today by Congress and BJP. According to the revised list of business of Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley will table the report along with Shantaram Naik of Congress who is...

-The Telegraph The Union cabinet today approved a controversial drug pricing policy that had been opposed by the health ministry, the finance ministry and public health policy experts who fear it will legitimise high prices of medicines. A government source said the cabinet has cleared the drug pricing policy that health experts suspect will determine caps on prices of 348 drugs through a formula based on market prices of drugs rather than...

-Outlook Kochi: Reserve Bank Governor D Subbarao today ruled out introduction of Islamic banking in the country but said other methods for channelising funds based on the principles of Islamic law can be looked at. "Islamic banking is not possible", he said, adding the central bank could look at other vehicles based on Islamic banking principles to channelise NRI funds. Replying to a question on the issue, Subbarao said: "There are some legal...