-PTI   A query posted by a 10-year-old girl under the Right to Information Act (RTI) regarding Father of nation status to Mahatma Gandhi has raised a piquant situation before the government. In February this year, Aishwarya Parashar, a class sixth student, sent an RTI application to the central public information officer of Prime Minister's office seeking a photocopy of the order through which Mahatma Gandhi was declared as Father of the nation. From...

-PTI A person applying for a passport is bound to disclose the names of his/her biological parents and not those of the adoptive ones if the adoption has not been legally mandated, Delhi High Court has ruled. In a ruling, Justice Vipin Sanghi said: “A passport is not only a travel document, but is also an identity document. The identity of a person is determined, inter alia, by his parentage. Therefore, unless...

Edible oil prices soared almost 10%-Rs 6 to 8 per kg-in the last one month, piling up pressure on the already vulnerable food inflation. Palm oil, which accounts for nearly half of India's refined oil consumption, went up Rs 10 per kg following a sharp rally in international markets. India imported about eight million tonne, or half of its domestic vegetable oil requirement, last year. A weakening rupee has been another...

Even as the debate rages on whether poverty measurement in India is accurate, a recent report on nutritional intake of Indians has come up with a chilling conclusion: two thirds of the country's population is eating less than what is required.    Even more worrying is that this trend continues despite a healthy economic growth rate over several years, and despite several mega programmes of nutrition delivery to children. Experts believe that...

-The Times of India   KENDRAPADA: Farmers of seaside villages of Jagatsinghpur are jubiliant after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) suspended the environment clearance for Posco. "Last year, the authorities acquired my 16 decimals of betel vine for only Rs 65,000 at Noliasahi village in Nuagaon gram panchayat," said Ranjan Jena (45) of Noliasahi, adding that he wished that he got his land back. He was also very curious if the government will...