-The Economic Times BANGALORE: It is one of the most expensive and ambitious projects in India's technology history connecting 2,50,000 gram panchayats in the country with a fibre optic network. It would need Rs 21,000 crore and as it is being planned now, the project needs exceptional project management, cutting-edge technology, and close coordination between several government agencies. While the government is preparing to start the project in the next two months,...

-Economic and Political Weekly The proposed legislation on the National Food Security Act has been steadily watered down since it was fi rst mooted in 2009. The Parliamentary Standing Committee that examined the 2011 Bill has disappointingly continued with "targeting". If the government passes the bill incorporating the committee's suggestions, a historic opportunity to combat hunger and malnutrition would be lost. Ankita Aggarwal (aggarwal.ankita87@gmail.com) is a Research Scholar at the Centre for...

-The Hindu Sequel to complaints that minority welfare schemes not percolating to intended beneficiaries Ahead of the next general elections in 2014, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government has proposed constitution of a high-power committee to review and assess the implementation of Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee’s recommendations and Prime Minister’s 15-Point Programme. This comes after a barrage of complaints from the Muslim community and a perception widely shared by people inside and...

-The Times of India The Companies Bill, 2012, passed by the Lok Sabha a few months ago, has recognised the importance of diversity in the board room. Certain class of companies will soon be required to have at least one woman director on board. The EU has long recognised the value that women directors bring to the table. But, policies need to be reworked even at the ground level. With the budget...

-Tehelka Feminism cannot be a moving force if it is not grounded in the lived experiences of its patrons I HAVE always been conscious of the inequalities of gender and caste. A series of matriarchal, independent women in my family had been asserting and stretching their roles in society even before I was born. My great grandmother, Neelamma, set aside her caste prejudices to get her younger daughter — my grandmother...