The government is scurrying for an alternative to its plan on engaging private sector in providing urban amenities in rural areas. After a good initial response that saw more than 90 companies showing interest in the scheme - Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas, or PURA, - the Rural Development Ministry has received only eight pilot proposals from six companies. Of the 45 shortlisted, most, including big players like Reliance...

India is today the world's largest importer of arms. These include fighter jet planes, missiles and radar systems for strategic partnerships and geo-political power. India is also investing in security and surveillance to combat foreign threats and resistance from its own people in places like the Kashmir valley, and the North East and tribal regions of Central India. This provides tremendous opportunity for multi-national corporations to sell and invest in...

-The Economic Times   Lok Pal bill joint draft committee member Arvind Kejriwal today alleged that vested interests seemed to have ganged up to discredit the proposed legislation by unleashing a sustained campaign to spread misconceptions and falsehood. He said vested interests first made an attack on the individual members of the committee and now they are attacking the bill per se questioning the provisions of the bill. "You would see various articles...

India has large wheat stocks already yet policy dictates they increase. In states like Punjab, Haryana, UP and Gujarat prices have fallen and are below the minimum support prices. This is a policy-induced outcome. A safe game in grains is fine, given the global politics of grain trade and the great ability of Indian politics to subsidise the wrong man in the vote bank — but how safe is safe? The...

It is the improper mode of application, violating the law and regulations, that is responsible for the apparent adverse toxic effects of endosulfan. FROM a scientific perspective, an extremely pertinent question in the endosulfan story is why adverse health effects similar to those seen in the villages of Kasaragod district in Kerala have not been reported from other parts of the country where the pesticide is used in much larger...