-The Telegraph Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh today expressed surprise over husbands of women mukhiyas and women sarpanchs running the rural parts of the state, unlike elsewhere in the country. Ramesh was on a visit to Rohtas district to review bariou development schemes undertaken in areas that have suffered because of ther Maoist violence. During his meeting, he could not find any woman mukhiya or woman sarpanch with whom he could interact...

-The Hindu Supreme Court to hear Ajay Dubey’s application The Supreme Court will hear on August 29 an application from the head of an NGO, Ajay Dubey, for a direction to Restrain the Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers and senior officers of Madhya Pradesh from giving public statements criticising the order banning tourist activities in core areas of tiger reserves. A Bench of Justices A.K. Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar has also agreed to hear...

-Frontline Health activists say the health chapter of the Twelfth Plan document exaggerates the role of the private sector in providing health care. The draft chapter on health for the Twelfth Five Year Plan document not only is grossly inadequate in its approach but exaggerates to unrealistic levels the role of the private sector in providing health care. It invokes the concept of universal health care (UHC), but, critics say, it...

-The Hindu In a society where self-worth is increasingly equated with sexual attractiveness, there are plenty of products that target both men and women. So why whine about the 18 Again ad? VAISHNA ROY I remember an old issue of MAD in which Dave Berg imagined a society where the nose defined sexuality. It had a hilarious sketch of a woman on a beach with a strip of cloth coyly covering her...

-World Food Programme Global food prices have taken a worrying turn as drought in the United States causes grain prices to surge. In the latest episode of the Food Factor Podcast, we spoke with WFP’s Deputy Director of Food Security Analysis Arif Husain to find out what the third food-price shock in five years means for the fight against hunger. * What are the main factors behind rising food prices this year? The...