-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Supreme Court's working strength would by year end fall to a low of 18 judges against the sanctioned strength of 31 if the government, locked in a standoff with the judiciary, continues resisting fresh appointments. Those due to retire this year include Chief Justice Dipak Misra (October 2) and Justices J. Chelameswar (June 22), Madan B. Lokur (December 30), Kurian Joseph (November 29), R.K. Agrawal (May 4)...

-The Times of India The Transfer of the chairman of the National Pharmceutical Pricing Authority, Bhupendra Singh, who had capped the price of stents and knee implants and exposed the huge margins being charged by corporate hospitals has evoked howls of protest from public health activists. RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch too has taken exception to the move, tweeting sarcastically about the “reward” given to a bureaucrat for doing a good job. The All...

-The Telegraph Ranchi: Food and civil supplies minister Saryu Roy on Tuesday said there was "nothing wrong" in direct benefit Transfer (DBT) piloted in Nagri block, against which beneficiaries, Opposition and activists staged a Monday padyatra to Raj Bhavan, citing mass glitches in cash Transfers to banks. Roy said he reached this conclusion after carefully analysing PDS supplies in Nagri. "I want to say that 83 per cent beneficiaries are smoothly getting ration...

-Livemint.com Linking MSPs to a multiple of costs and ignoring other dynamics, such as demand and global prices, risks creating distortions and disincentivizing productivity Government policymaking seems to be making a volte-face from supporting consumers (by keeping food inflation low), to supporting producers (by raising food prices). In the 2018-19 Union budget, the government “decided to keep minimum support prices (MSP) for all unannounced crops of kharif at least at one-and-a-half times of...

-Down to Earth People want Direct Benefit Transfer system to be replaced with old practice of getting rice at Re 1/kg at the ration shop Hundreds have protested against the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme started by the government of Jharkhand by marching from the Katahal Mor area of Ranchi towards the Chief Minister’s house via Piska Mor. The protest was organised jointly by civil society organisations and the major opposition parties...