-The Economic Times   The CABinet will shortly consider a proposal to allow 51% foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, as the government finally musters the will to implement the controversial policy measure that has been stalled for years. The commerce and industry ministry has prepared a note for the CABinet to allow 51% FDI in multi-brand retail and increase the limit on single-brand retail to 100% from the current 51%....

-PTI   Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the head of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on Food, has approved key changes in the proposed National Food Security Bill and the revised draft will be placed before CABinet soon. ”Yesterday evening, the Finance Minister has given final clearance to the draft Food Bill. It will be soon placed before CABinet,” told Food Minister K V Thomas. The key changes proposed in the Bill have been...

-The Telegraph   The Union CABinet today accepted a parliamentary panel’s suggestion that a fine of Rs 1 crore, not Rs 50 lakh, would deter institutions from charging capitation fees. The suggestion was part of a report the panel submitted on a proposed law to check unfair practices in universities and technical and medical institutions. The Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical Educational Institutions, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, 2010 — introduced in...

With the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) insisting on providing separate legal entitlements to some sections — pregnant women, lactating mothers, homeless, destitute and disaster affected households — in the proposed food security law, the Food Ministry is set to insist on state governments sharing the cost to fund the provisions for this special category of beneficiaries. Sources in the Food Ministry said the ministry has inserted “cost-sharing provisions” in...

A survey to identify the country’s poor looks set to miss its December 2011 deadline since it has not even started in 20-odd states, including Bengal. The “socio-economic caste census” is being conducted by the rural development ministry, urban housing and poverty alleviation ministry, and the registrar-general of India. One reason that a rural development ministry official cited for the delay is Bharat Electronics Limited’s failure to supply enough low-cost tablet computers...