-PTI Some media reports said there is a possibility that the central govt may withdraw bank cheque book facility in the near future, with an intent to encourage digital transactions. New Delhi: The finance ministry on Thursday said there is no proposal to withdraw the bank cheque book facility, which is an integral part of the payments landscape. The clarification comes in the backdrop of reports in a certain section of media that...

-The Indian Express Union government must address structural issues in agricultural policy, allow states greater autonomy. Farmers from across the country are out on Delhi’s streets agitating just as the deliberations for the 2018 budget are beginning and it’s time to seek solutions to the structural issues that plague the system. The “one-size-fits-all” policy created for the farm sector is self-destructive in design and programmes meant to double farmer incomes are collapsing. The...

-Hindustan Times The audit also recommended abolishing admission quotas, including those under the discretion of the vice-chancellor; no official reason was given for the audit. New Delhi: The Aligarh Muslim University must abolish separate colleges for male and female undergraduate students, do away with discretionary admission quotas and merge the departments for Sunni and Shia studies, a government-backed audit of the institution has suggested. These are among the top recommendations the audit made...

-The Times of India BENGALURU: In last year's budget, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley promised a health cover of Rs 1 lakh per poor family under the National Health Protection Scheme, which was meant to replace the UPA government's Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY). However, with the programme yet to see the light of day, the Centre is forced to continue with RSBY, which seems to be losing ground. An RTI application...

-The Economic Times More than 23 lakh customers have received cooking gas subsidy of Rs 47 crore in their respective Airtel Bank accounts they don’t seem to have opened, prompting the government to intervene even as the top mobile operator denied any wrongdoing. Consumers receive cooking gas subsidy in their bank accounts linked to their unique biometric identity, or Aadhaar. But after several consumers lately complained about not receiving subsidy, it emerged...