-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Union environment ministry has issued an order keeping in abeyance the controversial August, 2007 notification, which allows import of genetically modified (GM) processed food items into India without its prior permission, till March 31, 2014. Though the ministry has continuously been keeping the notification in abeyance since February 2008, this time it has opted for a shorter period - usually it used to be a...
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EC lays down guidelines to regulate campaigning on social media -Bharti Jain
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Political parties and candidates will now have to account for every penny spent on the use of social media for their poll campaigns. The Election Commission on Friday issued detailed guidelines to regulate internet campaigns on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube etc, asking candidates to declare their social media accounts and all political parties to pre-certify advertisements before they are posted on social media websites. The instructions also require...
More »Ask the right questions -Ruchi Gupta
-The Indian Express Those who want parties under RTI have not specified whether this advances transparency or electoral reform. It is time for a more nuanced debate. The tussle around the proposed RTI amendments to nullify the CIC order bringing the six national parties under the RTI Act is notable for many reasons: first, the amendments were sent to the standing committee for deliberation despite near political unanimity. This is significant, since...
More »The India-Bharat gap is not widening -Pramit Bhattacharya
-Live Mint Difference between average spending in urban and rural areas declined by 0.6 percentage points between 2004-05 and 2011-12 The seven years between 2004-05 and 2011-12 have been among the most prosperous phases India has ever seen. What makes this phase unique is that the gains from high growth have been more evenly shared between rural and urban India than before. Real rural consumption expenditure grew at an average annual pace...
More »Welcoming migration
-The Business Standard A third of Indians migrate, but government ignores them A recent UNESCO report reveals how widely prevalent migration within India has become, and has once again revived the apparently endless debate on whether this trend should be curbed or encouraged. Under the United Progressive Alliance government, internal migration has been seen as a sign of distress rather than of aspiration, and thus there have been various bids to control...
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