-The Times of India MUMBAI: The 100% tax waiver announced in the Union Budget on `small flats' to encourage affordable housing can lead to builders laughing all the way to the bank. Take a hypothetical case: Nothing stops a developer from constructing tiny 300square-foot apartments in tony Napean Sea Road in south Mumbai, selling them at, say, Rs 70,000sq ft, and getting a total tax waiver on profits. Experts say no law...

-TheWire.in Action now shifts to the states which will have the first real opportunity to react to a new, and still evolving fiscal Landscape One of the most dynamic features over the last three budgets has been the apparent consolidation of centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) — schemes like MGNREGA and National Health Mission, which are formulated by the Union government on subjects from the State List to encourage states to prioritise on...

-The Indian Express Gamlina’s response is just one example of how distant this government is from the lives of the poor and how tokenistic its schemes are. Gamlina Soren, an elected panchayat member in Jharkhand, sounded upset. She had been told by a local BJP functionary that gas cylinders were going to be “gifted” to poor women by the Centre but that they must have a BPL card. “But most poor Adivasi...

-Frontline The Living and Learning Design Centre in a Kutch village is about dialogue between contemporary designers and traditional artisans and about keeping crafts relevant. Kutch: “WHY here? Why a design centre of such sophistication in a small village off a highway?” The answer flashes in one’s mind at the same time: “Because that’s the most logical and relevant place for it.” The answer is validated a while later in a...

-The Hindu Winner of the State Award in Agriculture, 32 years old P. Prasanna is a role model for women aspiring to become farmers From an unknown entity, P. Prasanna has now become a household name in the tiny Tiruppalai Village after she rose to fame bagging Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Special Award this year for her achievement in agriculture. She recorded high yield of paddy through ‘semmai nel sagupadi’ (System of...