The Centre is exploring the possibility of introducing different petrol prices for two-wheelers and cars in an attempt to combat a perception that it is insensitive to the plight of the common people. Facing a flurry of protests from allies, Opposition parties and consumer groups against the hike in petrol prices last week, senior cabinet ministers are considering whether differential pricing is possible to insulate users of two-wheelers and three-wheelers from...
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Kalam for boosting local economy to allay nuclear fears by K Venkataramanan
Suggests Rs. 200-crore plan to win villagers over to Kudankulam Even as a committee constituted by the Centre to address fears about the safety of the Kudankulam nuclear power project was set to meet an experts panel of the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday, the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, has recommended a massive Rs. 200-crore special development plan for villages around the project site. The 15-member central panel, consisting of experts...
More »Addressing India’s hunger gap by NC Saxena
The word ‘hunger’ does not appear in the 12th Plan Approach Paper even once, whereas according to the latest Global Hunger Index Report, India continues to be in the category of those nations where hunger is ‘alarming’. What is worse, India is one of the three countries where the hunger index between 1996 and 2011 has gone up from 22.9 to 23.7, while 78 out of the 81 developing countries...
More »Six years of RTI: Time for the government now to bravely abide by the Act, not tame it by Vinita Deshmukh
Six years of RTI’s existence has empowered the Indian citizen as a proactive partner in governance like never before since Independence. But the government has not been able to digest it, ever since its implementation. Instead of trying to dilute or scuttle the Act, it’s time the government abides by Section (4) norms of ‘suo motu’ disclosure Apart from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whose innocence and ‘clean image’ stands exposed thanks...
More »Rise in fertilizer prices burdens farmers by B Chandrashekhar
Prices increase six times this kharif forcing farmers to spend an additional Rs. 1,000 crore Increase in the prices of all fertilizers except urea six times during the current kharif season has burdened the farming community in the State by about Rs. 1,000 crore additionally. It is likely to add to the production cost heavily coupled with the increase in other input costs like seed, labour charges, diesel and pesticides. Scanty rainfall...
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