-Business Standard State governments granted 401 reconnaissance permits and 920 prospecting licences between November 2007 and December 2014 Only one-fourth of companies with reconnaissance permits or prospecting licences have submitted mineral exploration data to the government in the last seven years, according to the ministry of mines. State governments granted 401 reconnaissance permits and 920 prospecting licences between November 2007 and December 2014. Of these, 186 holders of reconnaissance permits and 151 prospecting...

-The Hindu Business Line Generic prescription patterns, supply-chain management must for low-cost drug availability An earnest-sounding voice answers the Jan Aushadhi hotline number and assures the person calling that more stores are being planned by the Government in districts across the country. That response was to the caller’s query if there was a Jan Aushadhi (JA) store in Mumbai. As it happens, there is one in Maharashtra, but in Pune! It’s been over...

-The Indian Express Bhubaneshwar: Despite three Central PSUs backing out at the last moment from Orissa government's Rs 5-a-meal Aahar scheme, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday launched the scheme for simultaneously at Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. "The new Aahar Yojana is an excellent scheme to help poor people in the city. This is an excellent proof of our initiative for the poor," said Naveen, after pouring out steaming rice on to the...

-The Hindu Interview with social activist Medha Patkar on why she opposes the Land Bill proposed by the Centre Social activist Medha Patkar has been in the forefront of the struggle for the rights and rehabilitation of project-displaced populations for over two decades, and has relentlessly pursued the formulation of a national rehabilitation policy. She spoke to Gargi Parsai at the site of the agitation in Delhi about the pitfalls in the...

-Outlook Trade bodies representing around four lakh coal workers today said they oppose e-auction as well as the enabling provision in the proposed Ordinance for commercial mining by private players, and warned of a nation- wide strike if the Centre goes ahead with the changes. The Cabinet yesterday recommended promulgation of an Ordinance to facilitate e-auction of coal blocks for private companies for captive use and allot mines directly to state and...