-The Hindustan Times The government is planning to hike the price of subsidised LPG cylinders — capped at six a year — by Rs. 130 during January-March 2013. It also plans to hike diesel prices by Rs. 1.5 a litre every month, which will take the hike to Rs. 4.5 a litre during the period. On kerosene, the proposal is that the prices be either increased by 35 paise a litre per...

-Economic and Political Weekly The recent debate on the acceptability of foreign direct investment in the retail sector in India has been mostly political. It is necessary to look into the pros and cons of FDI in retail from a purely economic point of view. This article identifi es the safeguards that should be undertaken before allowing giant multinationals to function in the country. Abhirup Sarkar (abhirup@isical.ac.in) is with the Indian Statistical...

-PTI The retail sector, where the government permitted foreign direct investment in multi-brand, courted controversies during the year with several opposition parties making it a political issue in Parliament. Even before its entry into multi-brand retail, the global chain Wal-Mart was grappling with various issues, including spending money in the US on lobbying for entry into India. Adding action to the drama was Swedish furniture chain IKEA's hectic bargaining with the government over...

-The Indian Express In what could give a legal validation to severe punishments in cases with grave “social consequences”, the Supreme Court has ruled that “punishment should acknowledge the sanctity of human life” and hence not just an act but its result must weigh heavy while ascertaining adequate penalty. Sending across a strong message to all trial courts to take note of the impact of a crime on the society and its...

-The Hindustan Times The much-anticipated two-day debate on the government’s decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail got off to a spirited start in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, with both the Opposition and the Congress fiercely defending their stands. But, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had the government on tenterhooks a day ahead of the vote on a resolution opposing the FDI move. Even as...