-The Economic Times With the coming of 'organised' multi-brand retail - whether through FDI or indigenous - can the kirana store owner create an effective response so that he competes successfully to retain his share of the consumer's growing shopping basket? And second, will he want to make the change? To answer the first question, let's recap what we know are the kirana's strengths. Successful kirana stores have great neighbourhood locations and...

-The Hindu Business Line A system that generates wealth and jobs for millions will be replaced by retail giants with the pricing power to squeeze farmers and consumers. The UPA Government announced its policy last week, of inviting big multinational retailers to come and take over the Indian market. Predictably, the pro-lobby that has worked behind the scenes has expressed delight. Oddly, the words and concerns of the masses who are about to...

-The Telegraph Patna: Farmers in Bihar have set their sights on foreign funds for a change in their fortune though economists have cast a doubt on it. Ask Nitish Kumar, a farmer of Darveshpura village in Nalanda district, who hogged the limelight a couple of months ago with record production of potatoes. Nitish had no one by his side when he was forced to go for distress sale of the same potato, which...

-People's Democracy IT seems the Sheila Dixit government of Delhi, backed by powerful elements in the UPA-2 central government, will let nothing stand in the way of water privatisation in the capital. Several earlier attempts going back many years to fully or partially privatise distribution of water, especially the big loan application to the World Bank in 2005, were foiled by vigilant community organisations, public interest groups, trade unions and political...

-The Hindu Identification of children after tracing them poses a major hurdle for the police and other investigating agencies in reuniting them with their families. This is because many visible features such as height, weight, eye colour and complexion change very rapidly during the growing years. Over a period of time many of these characteristics and even distinguishable features such as birthmark or tattoos, key to identification, change. There is no provision...