-The Hindu Court rulings on freebies, elections and caste-based rallies, and the CIC order on political parties are a beginning towards cleansing politics but whether they can achieve the desired result is debatable The slew of judgments from the higher judiciary in the period of just about a month or so has been like manna from heaven on the parched earth of electoral reforms. First, the Supreme Court frowned upon freebies, which...
More »SEARCH RESULT
Price control, IP Act & regulatory framework: Revisiting some imp issues about Indian pharma-Ramesh Adige
-The Economic Times Over a year ago, I had written a piece, Quo Vadis, Indian Pharma? (ET, May 11, 2012), in this column. Some key issues were highlighted in the article. Perhaps it is time to revisit the subject and bring out some current issues. Price control: Hurray, the department of pharmaceuticals has come out with a new non-intrusive price control methodology, moving from the cost-based model to the average market price...
More »Demanding transparency in political finance-Shailaja Chandra
-The Hindu Building on the work by RTI activists, India needs to set up a mechanism that can make for accountability on the sources and utilisation of party funds Throughout the world, political parties collect funds to build and sustain the organisation, to train party cadres and fight elections. Recognising that they are the main link to the citizens (as voters) and, by implication, the mainstay of democracy, many countries, including India,...
More »Don’t crunch this lunch -Reetika Khera
-The Times of India The tragic incident in Bihar has raised questions about the midday meal (MDM) scheme, an otherwise popular and successful programme. Laggard states should use this as an opportunity to catch up with others and protect the scheme against emerging dangers. For those unfamiliar with it, the MDM scheme is a huge programme that today feeds more than 11 crore children every day. It is also a very popular...
More »Centre outlay to UP hiked, SP on board on food Bill -Pankaj Shah
-The Times of India LUCKNOW: Within a day of the UPA government raising financial assistance to Uttar Pradesh by 20%, the Samajwadi Party did a volte face on the food security Bill saying it won't oppose it in the monsoon session of Parliament. Until now, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was fiercely combative against the Bill saying it was against the interest of farmers. "Why would we oppose the Bill? We are...
More »