-The Telegraph The Centre has turned down the Mamata Banerjee government’s request to allot additional foodgrain to keep the state’s pet project of supplying grains at a subsidised rate to about 20 lakh people running in 2012-13. Although these people are “needy”, according to the state government, they are not part of the BPL category (annual income of less than Rs 30,000). The Mamata government gives rice at a subsidised rate of...

-The Economic Times The Opposition, acting in sync with the Trinamool Congress, a component of the ruling UPA at the Centre, on Wednesday scored a victory in the Rajya Sabha when it got the government to commit itself to the passage of the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill in the House in the "first half of the budget session itself.'' "We want to bring the bill within this part of the session,'' parliamentary...

-The Times of India Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi on Wednesday did what none of his predecessors had done for almost a decade - he hiked passenger fares across the board, following up on the increase in freight charges announced immediately after the recent round of assembly elections. While biting the bullet in hiking fares, he chose to couch the increase as ranging from a mere two paise per km for second class...

India's use of the compulsory licensing provision under its patents law for the first time to make the patented cancer drug Nexavar available at affordable prices is an essential, although belated step to curb the mounting cost of drugs. The grant of the licence by the Controller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks to Natco Pharma for manufacture of the drug Sorafenib Tosylate (Nexavar) to treat liver and kidney cancer is...

The government proposes to convert the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) into a National Health Mission to provide health care to the urban poor also, in the course of the 12th Plan. Universal access to free generic essential medicines in public health institutions in a phased and time-bound manner will be ensured. Announcing major initiatives to provide universal healthcare, President Pratibha Patil on Monday said the government would endeavour to increase both...