-The Indian Express New Delhi: At least 33 private hospitals in Delhi have been sent letters for recovery of retrospective penalty - from the time land was allotted to them - for not meeting norms related to free treatment of the economically weaker section and for amassing "unwarranted profits". The letters have been sent by the Delhi government which hopes to recover more than Rs 1,500 crore in penalty from these hospitals....

-The Hindu The Union Ministry of Labour has done well to raise the salary cap for availing Employees' State Insurance (ESI) to Rs.25,000. While the move is expected to expand coverage to an additional five million workers and their dependents, this is still small comfort in a country where barely three per cent of the workforce enjoys any social protection. The evolution of ESI has been characterised by an accent...

-Outlook The faecal matter hits the rotary blades, politically-but we're still staring at a sanitation disaster "Indians defecate everywhere. They defecate mostly besides the railway tracks. But they also defecate on the beaches; they defecate on the hills; they defecate on the river banks; they defecate on the streets; they never look for cover." -V.S. Naipaul An Area of Darkness, 1964 Not...

-The Hindu Poverty takes a huge toll on the mind and on this World Mental Health Day, the focus should be on the well-being offered by community-based alternative approaches In recent years, the impact of mental illness on the social and economic health of nations has been well understood, placing mental ill health as one of the leading causes of disability adjusted life years (DALY) worldwide. There has been much focus on...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Cabinet committee on economic affairs on Thursday approved Rs 8,632.77 crore for implementation of the National AIDS Control Programme Phase-IV by the health ministry's department of AIDS control. The main objective of NACP IV is to reduce new infections by 50% (2007 baseline of NACP III) and provide comprehensive care and support to all persons living with HIV/AIDS and treatment services for all those who...