-Business Standard Likely to carry out mid-term appraisal; states could continue with annual Plans Contrary to popular belief, the National Democratic Alliance government may not scrap the 12th five-year Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17) formulated by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Instead, it may carry out a course correction, in consultation with ministries and state governments. A model for such a structured rectification would be firmed up at the first governing council meeting...

-IANS Terming malnutrition a global issue involving people from all financial backgrounds, health experts Wednesday said India could be a role model in dealing with the problem. They said almost every country, rich or poor, faces a serious public health risk due to malnutrition either from under nutrition, obesity or micro nutrient deficiencies. Releasing the Global Nutrition Report here in a conference - "From Data Deserts to Fertile Facts: Unleashing the power of...

-Financial Chronicle From the inner recesses of Chattisgarh to the upper crevices of Sikkim, a look at how MGNREGA initiatives are changing lives The large blackboard outside the police station reads like a rate list. There are different monetary awards for Naxalites' surrender with different weaponry, the highest, Rs 4.5 lakh, for surrender with a light machine gun, Rs 3 lakh with an AK 47, and only Rs 30,000 with a 12...

-The Financial Express   With the High Level Committee (HLC) on restructuring FCI pointing to a 47% leakage in the 55 million tonnes of grain distributed through ration shops, the only viable solution is to shut down the PDS as the HLC has recommended be done over a period of time. Not surprisingly, many have argued that, in states that have restructured their ration shop operations-such as Chhattisgarh-there has been a dramatic...

-NationalGeographic.com The severe and ongoing depletion of underground Water supplies in India poses a growing threat to the nation's food security. Without serious efforts to stem the mining of groundWater, food production will decline, unleashing painful social and economic consequences for this nation of 1.25 billion people. All four of the world's top irrigators - China, India, Pakistan and the United States - are pumping groundWater faster than it is being replenished...