-PTI Says there are serious deficiencies in the action plan presented by state govt for lifting foodgrains of about 700,000 tonnes meant for PDS Criticising the Bihar government for not lifting foodgrains allotted to the state for public distribution, the Centre has given it an ultimatum to complete the exercise by August 31. In a letter to Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said there are "serious...

-Down to Earth There is speculation that provisions relating to 'fair compensation' may be tinkered with The Modi-government's move to amend the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (the new land acquisition Act) has drawn flak from the country's largest farmers' organisation, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU). The law was implemented from January this year. In a press statement issued Wednesday, BKU chief Rakesh Tikait said media reports...

-The Hindu   We need freeways, but we also need forests. Crimes against women have been constantly in the news. But crimes against nature remain largely unreported. Given the current climate, with the Intelligence Bureau claiming that non-governmental organisations like the crusading international environmental group Greenpeace, are detrimental to India's progress, and with the ubiquitous ‘foreign hand' making a serendipitous comeback, such crimes are likely to become invisible, noticed only by those who have...

-The Times of India   NEW DELHI: Amid protests over a sharp hike in fares and criticism of political parties, the government on Saturday strongly defended the increase in passenger fares, including for short-distance travel, arguing the revision was long overdue as the last hike took place around 11 years ago and a heavy subsidy burden was "unsustainable" in the wake of soaring costs. While passengers travelling by sub-urban and short-haul trains account...

-The Business Standard   A seven-point agenda to fix India's public services, and overcome poorly designed systems India's Achilles Heel remains its inability to deliver public services. India's aspiration to be a global economic power will be unrealised if this remains unsolved. Why is this problem so particularly acute? Is it political interference and corruption, poorly designed programmes and weak administration? Or a much deeper cultural problem of aversion to collective action, often...