-Outlook New Delhi: Food Minister K V Thomas today asked state governments to address three critical issues - identification of beneficiaries, creation of storage capacity and door-step delivery of foodgrains via PDS - for the successful implementation of the food security law. Addressing the state food ministers meet here, he called for greater coordination and cooperation between the centre and state governments to implement the law in 'true spirit'. The day-long meeting is...

-Press Information Bureau The India Rural Development Report 2012/13 was released here by Shri Jairam Ramesh, Minister for Rural Development, Government of India. The Report was prepared by IDFC Foundation in collaboration with network partners, the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), the Institute for Rural Management Anand (IRMA), and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR), with contributions from several other researchers, experts and civil society organisations. On...

-Frontline The government pushes through the Land Acquisition Bill, but critics say it will take away more than what it purports to give. CLOSE on the heels of the passing of the National Food Security Bill, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government pushed through its other game-changer initiative, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2013, or LARR Bill, ostensibly to address the injustices...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Government and opposition in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday presented a joint front to indict judiciary on diverse counts - from corruption, favouritism and nepotism to compromises due to lust of post-retirement jobs and benefits - as they approved a bill which seeks to scrap the collegium system of appointing judges. The Constitution amendment ending judiciary's monopoly in appointing judges by giving executive a crucial role...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: A working group of the Sonia-Gandhi-led National Advisory Council has called for the creation of dedicated human resource departments at central ministries dealing with social programmes to ensure better delivery of the government's flagship schemes. The working group has suggested that the proposed HR wings should be entrusted with the responsibility of framing guidelines for recruitment and training of frontline workers, besides laying down key performance indicators...