-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The government is all set to announce a national rollout of direct benefit transfer (DBT) of cooking gas subsidy in Aadhaar-using states from January, despite oil marketing companies pointing out several shortcomings in the current system. The decision was taken at a meeting convened by petroleum minister VeerappaMoily on Tuesday and a formal announcement is expected in the next few days, senior government officials told TOI....

-The Telegraph The Centre today submitted in the Supreme Court a "draft model rule" to restrict sale and purchase of acid in the country following the rising number of attacks on women by criminal elements and jilted lovers. Under the draft rules, the sale of acid will be restricted to industrial use, battery dealers, school/college chemical labs and hospitals. It will be obligatory for all buyers to furnish their photo identity and...

-The New Indian Express Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has emerged among the strongest voices against the Food Security Bill, which is being pushed by the UPA government. She recently wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to exempt Tamil Nadu from the implementation of the ordinance that brought the Food Security Bill into force. Apart from the political overtones that such a request might be seen to have,...

-The New York Times Blog The right to food is finally becoming a lively political issue in India. Aware of the forthcoming national elections in 2014, political parties are competing to demonstrate - or at least proclaim - their commitment to food security. In a country where endemic undernutrition has been accepted for too long as natural, this is a breakthrough of sorts. The rhetoric, however, is not always matched by understanding...

-The Telegraph Guwahati: Assam today took a step towards becoming the first state in the country to ban all smokeless tobacco products with the state government tabling a bill in the Assembly to this effect. The Assam Health (Prohibition of Manufacturing, Advertisement, Trade, Storage, Distribution, Sale and Consumption of Zarda, Gutkha, Panmasala, etc, Containing Tobacco) Bill, 2013, which was introduced in the Assembly by health and family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma,...