-The Economic Times Criticism of the National Food Security Bill (NFSB) has led to the government dropping the idea of issuing an Ordinance and, instead, saying it would try to get the Bill passed in a special session of Parliament. But doubts persist over the very concept of the Bill. Is it not extravagant to subsidise food for such a large part of the population when the poor constitute only 30 per...

-The Hindu     In spite of the rosy picture painted by the World Bank, the prospect of eliminating extreme poverty remains distant In a protracted period of gloom and persistent recession with feeble signs of recovery in a large part of the developed world, the World Bank, Brookings Institution and others can be forgiven for their euphoria over the accomplishment of a key Millennium Development Goal (MDG) - of halving extreme poverty in...

-The Times of India HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh government has embarked on an ambitious programme of sending 100 tribal students every year to reputed universities around the globe for higher studies. The government will bear the entire expenditure which includes fees and living expenses up to Rs 10 lakh and facilitate a loan for the student from banks if more funds are needed. The programme is available for tribal students who secure admission...

-Economic and Political Weekly   A report on the 2013 deliberation of the Kolkata Group at its 10th workshop which focused on healthcare, the status of women and social justice in India. A K Shiva Kumar (akshivakumar@gmail.com) is convener of the Kolkata Group workshops which are organised by Pratichi (India) Trust, the Harvard Global Equity Initiative and UNICEF India. At the 10th annual Kolkata Group workshop in February this year, 40 policymakers, development practitioners,...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Air conditioners may soon become costlier with chief minister Shiela Dikshit keen to impose higher tax on them. At a meeting with Planning Commission which cleared a plan size of Rs 16,626 crore for the capital for 2013-14, Dikshit said the sale of ACs had increased and power consumption was much higher in the night than during the day. Delhi government told the commission about its...