-The Indian Express As several steps taken by the Centre for the sector hangs fire, clarity and implementation of ‘Housing for All’ scheme would be the key for its success. The Union Cabinet approved its flagship ‘Housing for All’ scheme this week, with a 2022 target and a renewed emphasis on the low-income group categories by way of relaxed income limits and higher interest subvention. While the government seems to have struck...

The fourteenth Public Accounts Committee (2014-15) report, submitted to the 16th Lok Sabha in April this year, has found that despite various interim orders issued by the Supreme Court from time to time (based on a writ petition that was filed by People’s Union for Civil Liberties in April, 2001), the Government of India has failed to universalize the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme. This means India has to...

-The Economic Times BENGALURU: As the central government devolves more fiscal freedom to the states, they seem to be cutting allocations to social sectors, especially agriculture and allied areas in response, according to the initial findings of a study. The Narendra Modi administration wants to empower states further as part of a push toward cooperative federalism. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's February budget cut allocations to the states by more than half in...

-The Economic Times KOCHI: Hit by a slump in prices of tea and rubber, the plantation industry in Kerala has suggested a series of measures including a three year moratorium on taxes, a single window clearance system for diversification projects under the permission to use 5% land for activities other than plantations and purchase of one lakh kg of tea a week from Kochi auctions by the Kerala State Civil Supplies...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Supreme Court will tomorrow examine two National Green Tribunal orders that slapped "environmental compensation" fees on diesel and petrol tourist vehicles travelling between Manali and Rohtang and restricted the number of tourist vehicles to 1,000 a day in this Himachal stretch. Besides the fees - Rs 2,500 on diesel vehicles and Rs 1,000 on those that run on petrol - the tribunal had also imposed an additional...