-The New York Times Blog On March 23, when students and prominent Indians meet at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania for the India Economic Forum, one person will be conspicuous by his absence: Narendra Modi. The chief minister of Gujarat was invited to join the conference via Skype to discuss Gujarat’s development model, but student organizers of the annual conference withdrew their invitation on Sunday after a few University...

-Live Mint Move may help the Congress renew its appeal to a traditional constituency; activists raise objections In yet another move that the ruling Congress Party hopes will help renew its appeal to a traditional constituency, the ministry of rural development has indicated it is likely to accept the recommendations of a panel that has suggested the universalization of pensions. The task force headed by Planning Commission member Mihir Shah was set up...

-The Hindu Saurastra: Half a dozen villages along the coastal area of Saurashtra’s Bhavnagar district are up in arms against an environmental public hearing on March 5 for a proposed 6,000-MW nuclear power plant . The plant is expected to come up in Mithi Virdi village and has been tentatively named after it. If it comes up, it would be the second nuclear power plant in Gujarat after the one at Kakrapar...

-Deccan Herald Private institutions to deliberate on fee structure Bangalore: The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday rescheduled the seminar on implementation of Right to Education (RTE) Act. The Court had earlier directed the State government to conduct a seminar on March 10 on enforcing Right to Education as a fundamental right. The seminar will now be held on April 10. The order came during the hearing of an impleading application filed by Federation...

-Frontline Social development indicators in Gujarat are poor, proving that development in the State is lopsided On a hot day last November near Rajkot, Ramjibhai Patel, an octogenarian farmer, pointed to the middle distance and said, “See that lake?” There was indeed a shimmer in the dry landscape indicating water, but after a relatively poor monsoon, it seemed improbable. Chuckling, he said, “Yes, I see doubt on your face and you are...