-Deccan Herald With just a little more than a year left before the nation goes to polls, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government has proposed to raise the allocation for rural development to Rs 80194 crore in 2013-14, although an amount of about Rs 21371 crore is estimated to be left unspent from the fund earmarked for the sector this year. The Ministry of Rural Development is likely to leave unutilized...

-The Telegraph Bihar and Jharkhand are among eight states that are holding up moves to update national legislation on rights of people with disabilities, prompting an angry Union minister to slap them with an April 12 deadline for sending feedback on the draft bill. Minister for social justice and empowerment Kumari Selja has, therefore, written to the Governor of Jharkhand, Syed Ahmed - it is under President's Rule and chief ministers of...

-Outlook India has long been the sleeping giant of global agriculture. But its misguided policies while boosting short-term output, yet may transform India into a food importer After decades on the sidelines of international agricultural trade, India was poised last year to become a major food supplier, overtaking traditional exporters of food grain and meat. This could prove to be flash in the pan. The sudden rise and fall of India...

-The Indian Express Amritsar: Hours before it was due to open in theatres Friday, the Punjab government banned a controversial Punjabi film, Sadda Haq, which focuses on the era of militancy in the state, and attributed the decision to the need to maintain communal harmony. But the move has stoked a fresh controversy with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, which is controlled by the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and had helped the...

-The Hindu   "It deserves to be thrown into the dustbin" The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the magisterial probe report on the Tarn Taran incident, in which a girl and her father were beaten up by the Punjab police, as it justified the attack on the duo. A Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and Kurian Joseph told Additional Solicitor-General Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the Punjab government, "the report does not have the value...