-The Business Standard Nearly half the 3,337 politicians contesting elections in 5 states have not provided details of their I-T returns With total assets of around Rs 56 crore, Dhanvantri Chandela, fielded by the Congress from the Rajouri Garden constituency, is easily one of the richest among candidates for the Delhi Assembly election. But she neither has a permanent account number (PAN) nor has she reported details of her income-tax returns to...

-The Hindu Call to address women's issues by decision-making bodies at all levels Calling for addressing women's issues, needs and concerns by decision-making bodies at all levels of governance, women's groups on Thursday released a gender manifesto with a hope that political parties would consider it for the upcoming general elections. Demanding inclusion of development of legal frameworks that ensure gender equality within political parties, development and effective implementation of women-friendly legislation, implementation...

-The Hoot Survey methodology is good at explaining correlations between past and existing attitudes, but is poor at predicting future behaviour. And surveys can end up making the elections sound like a horse race, says ANUP KUMAR A controversy has been brewing over banning pre-poll surveys in India. The issue is worthy of a serious discussion - especially when it comes to transparency in methodology and the relevance of pre-poll surveys...

-The Hindu Pune: The two-day State bandh called by sugarcane farmers in Maharashtra started on a violent note on Thursday, especially in the western part of the State. The farmers, under the Leadership of MP Raju Shetty of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS), have been agitating for a higher first advance from the government. The protest, which started on November 15, disrupted normal life as transport services were stopped across west Maharashtra....

-The Business Standard Politics of populism will impact the government's fightback against inflation Mumbai: With the benefits of Food Security Bill failing to kick in, government is back to playing the card which many claim helped it win the previous election. It is looking to make a substantial hike in wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), according to a latest report by Economic times. A panel...