The institution of Auditor General, established in 1860, became Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) with the commencement of the Constitution. On the occasion of the initiation of year-long celebrations to mark 150 years of the institution, may one, as a former member of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, put forward a few suggestions (numbered for convenience) aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the institution? 1. It is a...

The National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by Sonia Gandhi, will give final shape to a draft food security law incorporating its suggestion of differential legal entitlement of foodgrains to nearly 800 million people through a reformed PDS network. Some members of the NAC were keen to on drafting the food security bill themselves and we will discuss the matter on Friday, a member of the advisory panel told PTI. "Our endeavour...

The two day 43rd Session of the Indian Labour Conference (ILC), the apex national tripartite body that discusses key issues affecting labour and employment and provides policy perspectives and recommendations, concluded in New Delhi today. The Conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Tuesday 23rd November 2010. Senior level representatives of the three pillars of the tripartism, Trade Unions, Employers’ Associations and Government, participated in the deliberations...

An all-party meeting in India has failed to break a Parliamentary deadlock over opposition demands for an inquiry into an alleged telecoms scam. Parliament has been adjourned for two weeks because of the stand-off. Telecommunications minister A Raja quit last week, denying claims that he had undersold mobile phone licences by billions of dollars. The government has ruled out a joint inquiry, saying "impartial" agencies were already investigating. Correspondents say the widening scandal involving...

A Parliamentary committee has asked the government to consider incentivising private players to set up grain storage facilities as it prepares to implement the right to food. The government will require around 620 lakh tonnes of foodgrain annually to implement the food security law. The official procurement stood at 539.75 lakh tonnes in the recent marketing year. “(The) government should provide soft loans at affordable rates and subsidies to private players to...