-The Hindu R.P. Gupta, Principal Secretary to Government of Gujarat, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, writes: "In Gujarat, PDS is exclusionary, leaky, getting worse" (August 17), your Correspondent Rukmini S., mainly focuses on the alleged weakness of the Gujarat Public Distribution System based on old data. It is clear that she has not countered any of the points raised by the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The article mentions some analysis of...

-The Hindu     Women are essential for the success of schemes like the mid-day meal programme. Improving their wages and working conditions would be better than blaming them when things go wrong. Mahatma Gandhi once declared, "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." By this yardstick, India does not fare well. Consider recent headlines alone: 23 Bihari children die after eating poisoned midday meals at their schools. Six-year-old...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Within a fortnight, you may be able to pick up a cooking gas refill from petrol pumps owned and operated by state-run oil companies in the four metros and big cities such as Bangalore and Hyderabad. Oil minister M Veerappa Moily on Tuesday approved the proposal allowing sale of 5-kg cylinders at commercial rate. The cost of the small refill will be Rs 361, oil company...

-The Business Standard The BPL census is scheduled to be completed in the next three to four months The Census of the population Below the Poverty Line (BPL), meant to determine the number of the poor, has found close to half the rural population to so qualify, as against a 28 per cent ratio estimated by the Planning Commission, say sources in the rural development ministry. The BPL census found 48 per cent...

-Reuters Raipur/Patna: The deaths of at least 23 children who were poisoned after eating a free school meal has triggered an outcry over food safety just as the ruling Congress party is set to launch an ambitious plan to feed 800 million poor, with an eye on elections due within a year. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi‘s national subsidised food project includes free school meals and expands existing handouts to make it probably...