-The Times of India CHANDIGARH: Rubbing salt into the wounds of rain-hit farmers who were issued cheques of Rs 2 and Rs 3 as compensation, the Haryana government on Friday justified the criteria on which the entitlement was based, even claiming that in some were paid in excess. A farmer who got a cheque of Rs 3 in Jhajjar district, was actually given 33 paise in excess, according to a press note...

-PTI NEW DELHI: With barely a month left for the proposed launch of its ambition food security scheme, Delhi Government today finalised the various nitty gritties. A meeting of the Delhi Cabinet presided by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit gave its in-principle approval for formal launch of the scheme on August 20, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and finalised various aspects relating to implementation of the scheme. Though the scheme...

-The Indian Express Why are we reticent about using techno-industrial solutions to reduce malnutrition? The death of several children from consuming a toxic midday meal in Bihar evoked a great sense of outrage. But this outrage will, in all probability, soon die down. Yet, this tragedy, as many reports show, is the tip of the iceberg. Beneath it lies unseen a story of poor service delivery and a lack of commitment. India...

-Frontline The National Advisory Council recommendations seem to be making a strong case for a major role for the private sector in the delivery of health care. THE recommendations for universal health coverage drawn up by the National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, push for public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the health delivery system but not for any inbuilt mechanisms for accountability. The NAC also...

-The Telegraph Ranchi district has an e-governance milestone that MGNREGS policymakers in the rest of India can emulate. According to officials, Ranchi has become the state's first district to pay MGNREGS beneficiaries through electronic fund management system (e-fms) in all its 18 blocks. The district, which bagged two prestigious e-governance awards in the course of a month, has again convincingly proved its mettle in an area that has proved to be the most...