-The Indian Express   The street vending bill goes a long way in securing the livelihood of the urban poor. The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, passed by Lok Sabha on September 6, 2013, is a landmark piece of legislation for the urban poor. It is the culmination of the efforts of organisations like the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) and the Self...

-The Economic Times KOLKATA: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs ( CCEA) has approved the additional allocation of 50 lakh tonne of foodgrains for the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families at BPL prices during the current financial year. This additional allocation of 50 lakh tonne will remain valid for lifting upto 31st March, 2014 or till the National Food Security Ordinance is implemented in the respective State/UT Governments. Earlier this year also a...

-CNN-IBN Mumbai: The trial in the Delhi gangrape-murder case has set an example for other cases of crimes against women. Soon after the verdict, the Maharashtra Home Minister announced that the trial in the Mumbai gangrape case will also be fast-tracked. But an RTI query filed by CNN-IBN exposes the dismal records of fast-track courts. An assurance was made by the Maharashtra government soon after the photojournalist was gangraped in Mumbai's Shakti...

-The Hindu The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General underscoring the blatant violation of conservation laws and Supreme Court orders in the diversion of forests for destructive non-forestry use confirms what former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said about the system: it's a bit of a joke. The compensatory afforestation mechanism instituted to balance the devastating loss of natural forests has failed abysmally. The CAG's report is proof that India's...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The seventh AIIMS-like institute will come up at Rae Bareilly - Congress president Sonia Gandhi's parliamentary constituency - soon. Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad announced this on Thursday while addressing the convocation ceremony at AIIMS, Delhi. Azad said that land for the new AIIMS project has been acquired already. "We have acquired land for building AIIMS in Rae Bareilley and tendering process for construction is...