-The Hindu 'They quit because they are not learning anything in school' With eight million children never having stepped inside a school and 80 million dropping out without completing basic schooling, the United Nations Children's Fund has described the situation as a national emergency and called for equipping the government and civil society to implement the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. "There has been progress in implementation of...

-The Business Standard A CACP study shows how the Fisc, rising farm wages and international forces are stoking inflation It's good to see that independent thought is still present in the government. When one part of the government comes out with a serious and objective piece on how the government itself has been responsible for creating food inflation, hopefully the government is more likely to take note. The Commission for Agricultural Costs and...

-The Indian Express On January 12 last year, RTI applicant Dinesh Suryavanshi had sought information related to class XI admissions under Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. Even after two appeals and a showcause notice issued to education department officials, he is still waiting for a response from them. "I wanted to know about the total number of seats reserved for SC, ST candidates, the stipulated seats in Management Courses and the...

-The Hindu   People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy to lay siege to township tomorrow TIRUNELVELI: The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project has "successfully completed" the mandatory penultimate tests before commissioning its first unit by testing an array of steam relief valves under operating pressure and temperature. The tests, started on last Friday to evaluate the performance of high-precision steam relief valves at operating pressure and temperature, were completed on Monday. "We're immensely satisfied with the...

-The Times of India In a major setback to special economic zone (SEZ) developers, finance minister P Chidambaram has turned down the commerce department's plea to cut the minimum alternate tax (MAT), which was imposed two years ago. A lower or no tax burden was cited as one of the main drivers for boosting investment in what were until recently duty-free enclaves. The commerce department had made a case for reversing Chidambaram's...