-The Telegraph New Delhi: The government's new policy think-tank is set to launch its social sector plans with a scheme for women and children, tracking an expectant mother's first visit to a doctor till the tiny form that has stirred to life inside her completes primary school. Officials said the Niti Aayog, which recently replaced the Planning Commission, had decided on the Aadhaar-based project when it met for the first time this...

-The Financial Express In a column in The Financial Express, ("Time to tweak priority-sector lending", goo.gl/6O8AOL, February 6), the author made a case for "tweaking" priority-sector lending (PSL) norms which largely stipulate that the commercial banks direct credit towards certain vulnerable sectors and target population. Specifically, the article argued for revisiting the sectoral targets and cited a reduction in the share of agriculture sector in GDP as a valid reason...

-The Hindu Union Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday hinted that the government could bring out new, improved guidelines if security establishments demanded that the IT Act be strengthened in the wake of the quashing of its Section 66A by the Supreme Court. He, however, added this will be done "objectively" after the "widest consultation." "National security is of utmost importance. If, in the light of the Supreme Court...

-The Indian Express It is easy to see why the Unique Identity (UID) project, also known as Aadhaar, has caught the imagination of many administrators, economists and policymakers. Identity verification is a routine problem in India and Aadhaar sounds like a foolproof solution. The idea is really smart and the technology is cutting-edge. After the initial hurdle of universal enrolment, numerous applications are possible: monitoring the attendance of government employees, linking...

-Khabar South Asia Madhusudankati Sulabh Safe Drinking Water Project (SSDWP) uses modern filtration technology to create affordable potable water for residents. Madhusudankati: Access to affordable potable water has long been a dream for Manu Ghosh, a native of eastern India's arsenic belt. Groundwater contamination there has poisoned and killed people for years. "Groundwater is largely unsafe here and branded packaged drinking water is quite expensive for us," Ghosh told Khabar South Asia. She...