-Outlook Environmentalist and author Mark Lynas now says GM crops are the answer to global food security. Vandana Shiva disagrees. The already heated debate about genetically modified (GM) foods in India has intensified thanks to a dramatic change in stance by environmentalist and author Mark Lynas,who now says GM crops are the answer to global food security. While India awaits two crucial reports on the topic, we interviewed Lynas and noted...

-Governance Now Villagers say they had to pay Rs 5,000-10,000 to get selected for the housing scheme Nalanda: Once again I paid a visit to Ravidas Tola neighbourhood in Maghra village of Biharsherif Block. Ravidas is a community that is classified as mahadalit, the most marginalized of the marginalized lot. It was early in the morning, and most people were in a rush as if in hurry to reach office. I stopped...

-The Hindu Demand institution of murder charge against the Mumbai ACP Vasant Dhoble The street vendors of Delhi launched a nation-wide campaign against “police terror” on Sunday, demanding that the police be made accountable to the public. Under the umbrella of the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), they formed a human chain at Parliament Street to demand institution of murder charge against the Mumbai Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vasant...

-The Hindu ‘In-patients will have to pay up if private agencies are allowed to use diagnostic centres to serve external customers’ The Chhattisgarh government’s move to outsource diagnostic services in public health facilities has evoked a sharp reaction from health activists, who fear that it will destroy laboratory services. The government has issued a request for proposals for private partnership in radiology and laboratory services in 379 public health facilities. Three categories of...

-Tehelka Edited Excerpts From An Interview NOTED ECONOMIST and Columbia University Professor Jagdish Bhagwati’s pro-free trade stance is well-known. A friend of the prime minister and his batch mate from Cambridge University, Professor Bhagwati feels the UPA’s departure from the stagnation of the past few years is a welcome change, and lauds the decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail. In an interview to TEHELKA Business Editor Shaili Chopra, Bhagwati says more...