-The Times of India BHOPAL/JABALPUR: The Madhya Pradesh government is compiling a list of convicted sexual offenders to ensure that they do not get government jobs as part of a series of measures to check crimes against women in the state. A government spokesperson said a DSP rank officer will be appointed in each district to check such crimes and that charge-sheets in these cases will be filed within two weeks. There has...

-The Indian Express The growing influence on policy issues of activists who call themselves “civil society” is a worrying trend and needs to be objectively analysed. Two recent policy pronouncements will illustrate how government seems to be yielding to their pressure. It is well established that absenteeism of teachers and poor quality of outcomes in government schools is the main factor behind the popularity of private schools with poor infrastructure that cater...

-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...

-Outlook Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today emphasised on the need to shift large surplus farmers to non-agriculture sector, saying per capita income of farmers would rise only when fewer people engage in farming. He also said farmers' income and agri-land yields need to be enhanced to meet the growing foodgrains demand in the coming years, building on the success of the 11th Plan. Addressing the 57th meeting of the National Development Council (NDC),...

-The Times of India The West Bengal government has managed a turnaround in revenue collection, thanks to innovative use of technology and the impending need to raise resources and repair the state's tattered finances. Data shows tax receipts during the first quarter of 2012-13 have risen 35%. In 2010-11, before the Trinamool Congress-led government came to power, tax collection by the Left Front government stood at Rs 21,000 crore, while in 2012-13...