-Down to Earth More than a fourth of rural students opt for private schools for better education, says Annual State of Education Report by non-profit Pratham The Union government may have made right to education a fundamental right by bringing into force the Right To Education (RTE) Act of 2009, but government schools are lagging far behind in providing quality education, according to the latest report released by Delhi-based non-profit, Pratham. At...

-The Hindu Business Line     Whatever the criticisms against the UPA government may be, its effort to provide employment to large sections of the population under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act must be lauded. Yet, after the initial success of the scheme, the enthusiasm of the Central government itself seems to have diminished in its second term in power. How palpable is the shift to lower gear? Representatives of the UPA...

-The Indian Express With just weeks before the Vote on Account to be tabled in Parliament the expenditure numbers of the government are looking challenging. The fiscal deficit has already touched 94 per cent of the full year target of Rs 5,42,499 crore between April- November 2013 and while the sluggish pace of revenue receipts is evident, movements in expenditure needs to be assessed carefully. Total expenditure has crossed Rs 10,00,000 crore mark...

-The Times of India As the clock ticks towards the general elections in a few months time, a major crack appears to be opening up in the government. The mandarins of finance ministry - presumably with the sanction of finance minister P Chidambaram - have proposed huge cuts amounting to over Rs 20,000 crore in spending on popular flagship schemes like the employment guarantee scheme, the rural housing scheme, the village...

-The Hindu Ramanathapuram (Tamil Nadu): After free and cashless deliveries, newborn babies and mothers were transported back home free of cost by the Government Headquarters hospital here, thanks to the implementation of Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) scheme. The scheme rolled out by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is being implemented in the hospital since October 15, making available a host of benefits to the young mothers free of cost. After delivery and...