-Economic and Political Weekly The proposed legislation on the National Food Security Act has been steadily watered down since it was fi rst mooted in 2009. The Parliamentary Standing Committee that examined the 2011 Bill has disappointingly continued with "targeting". If the government passes the bill incorporating the committee's suggestions, a historic opportunity to combat hunger and malnutrition would be lost. Ankita Aggarwal (aggarwal.ankita87@gmail.com) is a Research Scholar at the Centre for...

-The Economic Times BANGALORE: It is one of the most expensive and ambitious projects in India's technology history connecting 2,50,000 gram panchayats in the country with a fibre optic network. It would need Rs 21,000 crore and as it is being planned now, the project needs exceptional project management, cutting-edge technology, and close coordination between several government agencies. While the government is preparing to start the project in the next two months,...

-The Times of India The Companies Bill, 2012, passed by the Lok Sabha a few months ago, has recognised the importance of diversity in the board room. Certain class of companies will soon be required to have at least one woman director on board. The EU has long recognised the value that women directors bring to the table. But, policies need to be reworked even at the ground level. With the budget...

-The Times of India MUMBAI: India Inc has had to wait for nearly three years for the government to roll out the rules relating to the functioning of electoral trusts. The rules have been recently notified and come into effect from January 31, 2013. The 2009 Budget had introduced provisions relating to electoral trusts in the Income-tax Act. It provided for tax exemption to electoral trusts which distribute contributions to political parties,...

-The Hindustan Times Haridwar: The income-tax department has frozen the bank accounts of the two trusts run by yoga guru Ramdev and asked the Divya Yog Mandir Trust and Patanjali Yog Mandir Trust to pay up Rs. 34 crore. The trusts, registered as charitable organisations, were enjoying tax exemptions until a few months ago. The benefits have been withdrawn. Divya Pharmacy, run by the mandir trust, manufactured medicines and was earning profit...