-The Hindu It has managed to retain stabilisation of its HIV/AIDS epidemic, holding on to prevalence rate of 0.25 % With the UNAIDS report putting India among the nations with a 50 per cent or over drop in HIV incidence rate (new infections), this is clearly good news for the country. Down south, Tamil Nadu, once considered a high-prevalence State, also has good news. The State has managed to retain stabilisation of its...

-The Indian Express Cash transfers seem to be the latest fad. With elections looming, the Prime Minister’s National Committee on Direct Cash Transfers has been tasked with an ambitious mandate to provide vision and direction to enable direct cash transfers of subsidies under various government schemes and programmes to individuals to enhance efficiency. Certain activists warn against an ill-considered and hasty transition from food to cash. Others believe directly transferring the...

-The Times of India While cases of malaria and chikungunya show a dip across India, dengue cases have started to climb steadily. Official records of the Union health ministry reveal that there has been a massive increase of dengue infection in the country this year. India had recorded 15,535 cases and 96 deaths in 2009, but the corresponding figure till November, 2012, stood at over 35,000 cases and 216 fatalities. Tamil Nadu has recorded...

-The Hindu India’s proposed changes to ITRs preliminary; firm position in Dubai only after consultation and consensus India’s proposal on the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs), submitted to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), is far from the last word on the matter, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal has said. Mr. Sibal’s remark offers immense relief to Indian citizens and the Internet industry, especially Internet and mobile service providers, social media and other companies that are...

-The Business Standard IT laws have clauses that can be too easily misused The arrest of two women in Palghar (near Mumbai) for an innocuous Facebook status update is the latest indicator of an increasing intolerance of free speech, especially online. The state has also increased its surveillance. The focus on surveillance and censorship is evident not only in specific instances but also in the statistics. In February, the government said...