The Planning Commission has received a sweeping set of recommendations that proposes free health care and medicines for diverse needs to all Indian citizens, irrespective of economic means. Whether or to what extent the proposals — described as “even bigger” than the UPA’s blockbuster job scheme — will be accepted will depend on the political and executive leadership. If the government throws its weight behind the initiative, it will effectively mean...

A delhi court on Saturday ordered registration of an FIR against Team Anna member Kiran Bedi for allegedly misappropriating funds meant for her NGOs, India Vision Foundation and Navjyoti Foundation. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Amit Bansal ordered the FIR on the basis of a complaint filed by a Delhi-based lawyer, Devinder Singh Chauhan, alleging that Bedi had “looted” various paramilitary forces and state police organisations through a scheme called “Meri Police”...

The stalemate in relation to the Kuda­nkulam Nuclear Po­wer Project (KK­N­PP) continues despite the ‘fail-safe’ certificate issued by former Indian President Abdul Kalam and the central panel of experts headed by A E Muthunayagam. The representatives of the people of that area are still saying, “We will never settle down for anything less than the scrapping of the KKNPP.” SRIkumar Banerjee, secretary of the department of atomic energy, has expressed...

The top rung Maoist leadership has every reason to be worried now as intelligence agencies in different Left Wing Extremism affected States have been striking gold in either arresting or killing the top leadership. The Maoist movement faced a series of setbacks in 2011 as the security forces managed to arrest four Central Committee members earlier and the fifth blow to the rebel movement was dealt in the killing of Kishenji,...

This is a saga of how the Hindu outfit saw the promise in Anna and pursued him for its gains. How often do we meet strangers on a flight and realise that it could possibly be the beginning of a lasting friendship? This is how yoga teacher Ramdev and super cop Kiran Bedi met in mid 2010 when both of them were on the same flight and Ramdev spotted her. Although fate...