Packed into what look like two medium-sized suitcases are eight essentials — an iris scanner, a fingerprint machine, a camera, a laptop, a computer screen linked to the laptop, an Internet data card, a pen drive and a printer. Armed with kits like these, Nandan Nilekani and his team at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will kickstart one of the most ambitious exercises in recent times — distribution of...

An inter-ministerial meeting on infrastructure constraints ended up discussing the coal ministry’s accusations against the environment ministry of going slow in clearing mining projects that meet green norms. At the end of the meeting, the exasperated chairman of the group, a secretary from the cabinet secretariat, suggested the environment ministry should henceforth attend the meetings on infrastructure. The ministry should be present in the next meet and listen to the complaints...

The fact-finding team set up by the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) last month to probe allegations of violations of the Forest Rights Act by Posco, the Korean steel major, for its proposed project in Orissa’s Jagatsinghpur district, will visit the site on Friday and Saturday. The team is led by Meena Gupta, a former secretary of this ministry and also of the tribal affairs one. The other members...

Maharashtra ended famine forever by passing an Act that deleted the word ‘famine' from all laws of the State. Maybe the government, the National Advisory Council and other assorted enthusiasts of the Food Security Bill can learn from Maharashtra about moving towards ending hunger altogether. In 1963, the government of Maharashtra ended famine forever in the State. It did this without adding a morsel to anyone's diet. It did so simply by...

Halted by the government from mining bauxite in Niyamgiri in Orissa for the $1.7 billion aluminium project, Vedanata Resources on Tuesday said it has not violated any law and would look for alternate sources of the mineral. "Vedanta Resources Plc reconfirms that there has been no regulatory violations of any kind at the Lanjigarh Alumina refinery. We are not in possession of Niyamgiri mines and no mining activity will be undertaken...