-Outlook The Supreme Court has ruled that the details of a person's income tax returns and performance of an employee are "personal information" which cannot be divulged under the provisions of the Right to Information Act unless a larger public interest is involved. The apex court added that under the transparency law, information pertaining to the performance of an employee or officer cannot be made public as it is a matter between...

-The United Nations The United Nations today reported that global food prices slightly increased in September after two months of stability, and warned that despite increased cereal production in low income countries, global harvest of this commodity is expected to decrease this year. During September, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Food Price Index rose by 1.4 per cent from its level in August. The rise to 216 points from 213...

-PTI Backing Centre's decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said the decision will help farmers prosper by removing middlemen from the supply chain and generate new jobs. Addressing the national executive of Indian Youth Congress in Srinagar last night, Rahul said FDI in retail will help farmers store their produce safely for a longer duration, thus ensuring best value for their crops. The 42-year-old AICC general...

Remember Arjun Sengupta Committee Report? It’s the same report which put paid to government’s shifting poverty estimates by asserting that almost 80% Indian survive on less than Rs 20 per day. Known as the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS), the report has gone missing from the public domain. The official website of NCEUS is no more working: http://nceus.gov.in, raising doubts regarding someone, somewhere trying to hide...

-The Economic Times Every concerned and right-thinking citizen of this country wants poverty to be reduced as early as possible. Governments and policymakers have given assurances, time and again, that they are making their earnest efforts in that direction. Yet, there is a big debate in the country, ranging from the very definition of poverty to the number of people below the poverty line. Some academic stalwarts have devoted almost their whole...