-The Indian Express Twelve years after launching its flagship rural roads scheme, the Ministry of Rural Development is set to introduce the second version of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, which will focus on refurbishing the existing rural roads, by moving a proposal in the Cabinet on Thursday. PMGSY, a Centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2000, seeks to provide all-weather road connectivity to rural areas for habitations with a population of...

-The Guardian In a village in India's poorest state, Bihar, farmers are growing world record amounts of rice – with no GM, and no herbicide. Is this one solution to world food shortages? Sumant Kumar was overjoyed when he harvested his rice last year. There had been good rains in his village of Darveshpura in north-east India and he knew he could improve on the four or five tonnes per hectare that he usually...

-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...

-Pratirodh.com Speaking to an enthralled audience of 1,500 students and faculty at IIT (Delhi) , Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said that the idea of the National Food Security Bill was “a matter of appreciation and support”, and that the tabling of the Bill in Parliament was in itself a big achievement.  However, he also drew attention to various shortcomings of the Bill and argued for it to be strengthened, particularly in...

-The Hindu Business Line Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen on Friday said that the tabling of the Food Security Bill in Parliament was “a big achievement”, but also drew attention to its shortcomings and called for it to be strengthened, especially with regard to child entitlements. He was participating in a panel discussion on ‘Hunger and Nutrition: Time to Act’ held at IIT- Delhi, with Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Shantha...