-Press Information Bureau (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)     Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, has asked for thorough streamlining of systems in the distribution of free generic drugs to government health institutions at all levels throughout the country. The Free Drug Programme's formal launch would be preceded by working out all logistical details with respect to procurement and distribution in consultation with the state governments. The...

-The Hindu   It is creditable that Narendra Modi seeks inspiration for his growth model from China and Japan rather than the U.S., which is a high-cost, specialist-driven model The old adage ‘health is wealth' was given legitimacy by no less a personage than Professor Jeffrey Sachs, who in 2000, chaired the World Health Organization's Commission on Macroeconomics and Health (CMH). The CMH report brought forth indisputable evidence of the link between health,...

-Outlook   The author of the surprise international bestseller, Capital, in the 21st Century, thinks that abolishing Income Tax is not a good idea Books on economy rarely move beyond the peer group of economists and their academic circle. But those old presumptions are now being put to the test and the rules are being rewritten from the time 42-year old French economist, Thomas Piketty, went viral. The publication of the English edition...

-Down to Earth   As India elects new government, the 12th Five Year Plan may no longer be pro-poor MUCH hope is pinned on the 12th Five Year Plan that was declared as the first health Plan by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, while drafting the Plan, also termed it "pro-poor" and promised the maximum budget for social welfare schemes. But as the Plan comes into force this...

-The Times of India   NEW DELHI: When a new HRD minister takes over next week, he will be virtually presiding over a mess left behind by the previous government. In the first few weeks as the debris is cleared, the new minister will discover the two contrasting worlds of school and higher education. Despite the problems and handicap the Right to Education faces, the last five years have seen the historic...