-The Hindu     Concern over procurement and distribution of subsidised foodgrains Asserting that India would soon be breaching its Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS) commitments to WTO (World Trade Organization) due to its new food security programme, the newly-elected Director-General, Roberto Azevedo, on Monday, sought a positive solution to the issue before the Bali Ministerial to be held in December as some countries had expressed concern over the procurement and distribution of highly...

-The Hindu After a long and painful period of neglect, India promises to devote attention to the issue of preparing all children for primary schooling. The draft National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) policy aims to end the "current laissez faire situation" that has led to the mushrooming of expensive crèches, play schools, nursery schools and so on that adhere to no particular standard. On the other hand, there is...

-The United Nations Although global food prices have recently stabilized, they are expected to remain volatile over the next few years, the head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today, as a ministerial meeting on global food prices kicked off in Rome. FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva told the meeting, which coincided with the opening of the Committee on World Food Security, that this year's session was...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: The government is having a rethink about the efficacy of its flagship health insurance scheme, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), which has earned a lot of critical acclaim from the likes of the World Bank, Harvard University and global think tanks. The scheme offers healthcare benefits worth Rs 30,000 per year to a Poor household that can be accessed at empanelled private and public hospitals across...

-The United Nations Some 3.5 billion people, half the world's population, lack crucial waste management services, significantly harming environment, health and economies, the United Nations reported today, stressing that recycling and proper treatment can be a literal and metaphorical gold mine. "Open dumping, the most prevalent waste disposal method in many countries, can lead to acute health impacts for those living closest to dumping sites, most often the urban Poor," the UN...