-The Hindu Huge subsidy of 5 percentage points being leveraged. Pointing to a possible diversion of subsidised funds meant for farmers to non-agricultural uses, a research paper by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) has found that the crop loans extended in India are in fact close to exceeding the total expenditure on farm sector inputs. In 2012-13, the aggregate short-term credit — provided primarily to finance the purchase...

-The News Minute Maharashtra's Women and Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde on Wednesday was embroiled in a controversy involving alleged irregularities in awarding contracts worth Rs 206 crore and the opposition demanded a probe. Among the allegations are irregularities in awarding contracts for workbooks for students, water filters, growth monitoring machines for malnourished kids, medicines and chikkis (sweet cookies with nuts and dryfruits in a jaggery base) earlier this year. Munde, however, rubbished...

-The Telegraph Bhagalpur: An unusual demand of Rs 2 lakh by an insurance company in lieu of providing information to one Right to Information (RTI) activist from Bhagalpur has left the crusader in the lurch. Ajit Kumar Singh, the RTI activist, had sought information from the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India about the details of implementation of a scheme, mainly aimed at the economically weaker sections and also about the works...

-The Hindu Hyderabad (Telengana): Delay in commencement of institutional credit disbursement likely to affect sowing. Credit requirement for kharif operations is nearly Rs. 26,000 crore. Notwithstanding the copious rains received in most parts of Telangana and availability of seed and fertilizer in ample quantities, the delay in commencement of institutional credit disbursement, crop loan release by banks, is likely to affect the sowing operations in the current kharif season. Credit requirement Though the Agriculture...

  Despite the provision of free school uniforms to be given to school children aged 6-14 years under the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, when it comes to education department of Uttar Pradesh things are happening in the wrong way. Officials working in UP's education department demand for commissions from uniform suppliers, reveals a Cobra Post sting. In order to know more, please read the press release from Cobra...