-Live Mint The Sonia Gandhi led-National Advisory Council (NAC) on Friday formed a working group on universal health coverage for phasing-in the roll-out of the proposed scheme in the 12th Five-Year Plan period. Meanwhile, differences persist between the health ministry and the Planning Commission on the role of insurance and the private sector within the universal health coverage (UHC) plan. Health ministry and Planning Commission officials presented their views to the NAC on...

-Frontline Health activists say the health chapter of the Twelfth Plan document exaggerates the role of the private sector in providing health care. The draft chapter on health for the Twelfth Five Year Plan document not only is grossly inadequate in its approach but exaggerates to unrealistic levels the role of the private sector in providing health care. It invokes the concept of universal health care (UHC), but, critics say, it...

-The Economic Times The CAG's report on Delhi International Airport (DIAL) is naive and uninformed. It asks why land was made available to a private developer at reduced rates to build and run an airport for 60 years, and insinuates that the developer, Hyderabad-based GMR group, got a sweetheart deal from the government. It seems to find it abhorrent that 5% of the land allotted could be used commercially and claims...

-The Times of India The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has questioned giving Indira Gandhi International Airport land totaling 4,800 acres to Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) — the government's joint venture with the Hyderabad-based GMR Group — on a lease rent of Rs 100 per annum, apart from a one-time fee of Rs 6.19 crore for 190.19 acres. Of this land, 240 acres worth Rs 24,000 crore would...

-The Indian Express Three new reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India increased the heat on the embattled government on Friday. The statutory auditor’s report on coal block allocations, implementation of public-private partnership at the Delhi International Airport and the award of ultra mega power projects (UMPP), tabled in Parliament, accused the government of indulging in favouritism, irregularities in bidding processes, and causing massive losses to the exchequer. The...