-Live Mint Health ministry’s plan for a shorter medical degree course is aimed at addressing manpower shortage in rural healthcare A parliamentary committee on Tuesday rejected the health ministry’s plan to introduce a shorter medical degree course aimed at addressing manpower shortages in rural healthcare. It said the proposed Bachelor in Rural Healthcare course would legitimize differences in the Quality of medical treatment in rural and urban settings.   “We discussed the issue at length...

-The Hindu Those opposing Justice Katju’s suggestion of minimum qualifications for journalists are out of touch with reality Some years ago, the journalism entrance test at a career development institute in Mumbai had this objective-type question: Kofi Annan is (a) a Nigerian footballer (b) lead singer of a Sierra Leone pop group (c) a Sri Lankan delicacy (d) Secretary-General of the United Nations. The 100-odd candidates who appeared for the test were...

-The Times of India LONDON: Herbal medicines are causing millions in India to develop kidney failure and bladder cancer. In a warning that is bound to cause a fresh row over the Quality of Asian herbal medicines, British scientists were due to announce on Tuesday that millions of people in Asia — specially in India and China — might be exposed to the risk of kidney failure and bladder cancer from taking...

-Outlook Only seven out of 80 samples of mid-day meals served in schools under North Delhi Municipal Corporation in the last one year passed the minimum requirements for both adequate protein and calorie content. The figure was presented before the NDMC House during a special meeting today. Officials said the food was not found to be contaminated or adulterated but it lacked prescribed protein and calorie content. Over four lakh students are being served...

-The Hindu In a small town in Karnataka, government-school students are working to ensure that their schools meet the infrastructure norms of the RTE Act. Can this model be replicated elsewhere in the country? Kishore Mahadevaiah, a Std VII student, is describing his ideal school. “The school should be very clean and neat. In every class, there should be teaching and learning materials and sports materials and qualified teachers. And there should...