-The Times of India Despite the recent hype, one of the key drivers of women's empowerment — jobs for women — remains neglected and forgotten by policymakers. A recently released survey shows that more women are remaining home-bound doing domestic duties than a decade ago, even though a large number of them are willing to work. These are some of the findings of a report of the National Sample Survey Organisation...

-The Business Standard The Union Budget shows the charitable instincts of the government continuing to overwhelm it - though some would call it part inefficiency and part helplessness. The exemptions given to citizens on the tax they ought to pay have been exceeding the Plan expenditure, and even the total fiscal deficit as it did in 2012-13. This has prompted criticism from the Left parties and activists, who view it as evidence...

-Reuters Bhubaneshwar: At least three people protesting against plans for a $12 billion steel project by South Korea’s POSCO in Odisha were killed by crude bombs on Saturday, police said. Police said those killed in the village of Patna in Odisha were probably making the bombs themselves, but a protest group spokesman said the dead activists were victims of an attack by supporters of the steel project. “We strongly condemn this barbaric and...

-Outlook The Delhi Police today opposed the media plea seeking access to the trial in the December 16 gang rape case telling the High Court that the enquiry and trial in every rape case should be held in-camera. Appearing for the police before Justice Rajiv Shakdher, Special Public Prosecutor Dayan Krishnan countered the claim of petitioners that this case is "exceptional" and the media has an independent right derived from the Constitution. "The...

-NDTV Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has earmarked Rs. 10,000 crore as incremental cost to implement the Food Security Bill, which he described as a promise of the UPA government. A centrepiece of the ruling government's campaign in 2009, the Bill was cleared last month by a parliamentary committee. The Bill says 75 per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent of the poor in urban India - about 800 million people...