-The Times of India With the UPA government's efforts to build a consensus on allowing foreign retailers in the multi-brand retail sector going nowhere, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday urged the UPA allies to help evolve a consensus on the reforms measure. Participating in the first meeting of the newly set-up UPA co-ordination committee, PM said that it was necessary to build support for the move to let in foreign retailers. The...

-The Economic Times The government has made key changes to the proposed legislation for land acquisition, making it more attractive for industry by easing some of the stringent conditions, a person privy to the draft told ET. The rural development ministry has proposed to not implement the legislation with retrospective effect, besides relaxing the requirements of consent from landowners, and tightening the definition of market value. The amended Bill has been rechristened 'The...

-The Hindustan Times Courts will now view the revelation of children’s identities by the media while covering criminal cases very strictly.   The Delhi high court on Wednesday tightened norms for media reporting in cases involving children. The order came keeping in mind the brazen manner in which the identity of the two-year-old battered child, who died while fighting for her life at AIIMS, and other minors involved in the case was...

-The Times of India In a move that has angered the health ministry, the Planning Commission has asked for reversal of the long-standing public health policy from the 12th plan onwards ending governments' dominant role in providing health services and transiting to greater privatization of the health sector, something along the lines of the 'managed care' system which is followed in the US and Mexico. The health ministry has taken a tough...

-The Times of India The PMO has denied information on the Bhopal gas tragedy, Dow Chemicals and the London Olympic Games sponsorship issue under the RTI Act on the strange ground that a "third party" whose interests are involved in the case has advised that revealing the documents would harm India's relations with a foreign country. The third party also told the government that India had received the information "under confidence" from...