-The Economic Times India has moved up 8 points to 105th position in the global Gender Gap Index of 135 countries for 2012, from 113th position in the previous year, according to the World Economic Forum. The index, which examines the gap between men and women on the basis of economic participation and opportunities; educational attainment; health and survival, and political empowerment is topped by Iceland, followed by Finland, Norway, Sweden and...

-Live Mint The OECD forum is discussing how to make the aspirations of the common man relevant to policymaking New Delhi: In the face of a deepening economic crisis and social resistance to austerity measures, world leaders are considering a collective experiment to include parameters such as well-being and happiness in national and international statistics. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) World Forum on Measuring Well-being for Development Policy Making being...

-The Times of India India ranks 65th out of 79 countries on the Global Hunger Index, a new report by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide has said. The report has sharply criticized India for not moving fast enough to reduce malnourishment, and has said that its nutritional indicators are far worse than its economic indicators merit. India's ranking has not changed since 2011, when it was 67th...

-The Indian Express The government’s proposal to price-control certain drugs will create more problems than it will solve From clothes to cars, prices of consumer products the world over are determined taking into account input costs, margins and competition, popularly called the cost-based pricing system. Departing from this sound, fair, tried and tested principle of commerce, the government’s new drug pricing policy, approved by the Group of Ministers headed by Sharad Pawar,...

-The Business Standard The proposed pharma pricing policy may give room to drug makers to escape price control. While the policy is primarily aimed at making essential medicines affordable, many feel the spirit is missing in the recommendations put forward by a group of ministers a few days ago. For instance, the ministerial panel has proposed to regulate prices of only 348 essential medicines and keep combination products out of control —...