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February is the month to take a re-look at government subsidies. Normally, it is also the Union Government's annual budget presentation month. Since subsidies invariably pose a big burden on the exchequer, they become a hot issue for pre-budget debate in government circles with the intention of restricting these expenditure, which are considered 'wasteful' by most reformists and 'essential' by socially-conscious pragmatists.

It is strange that UPA II, taking over for the second term in a triumphant mood in May 2009, should be bungling on a number of fronts in its first six months, let alone the electoral promises for the first 100 days including food security. The most serious among them has been the double-digit food inflation raging for more than a year, accentuated no doubt by drought, but allowed to ravage millions of rural poor and low-income urbanites since 2008.

New York: The Conference on Disarmament, the world's sole multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, faces becoming irrelevant to international relations given its recent lack of progress, a senior United Nations official has warned.

New York: Saving the world’s myriad diverse species, which are being lost to human activity at an unprecedented rate that some experts put at 1,000 times the natural progression, is vital not just for environmental reasons but for the economic well-being of humankind, a senior United Nations official has said.

New York: Although sporadic fighting persists in Sudan's Darfur region, where the Government and rebels have waged a deadly seven-year war, and formal talks for a political solution have not yet been possible, recent positive developments give rise for some optimism, a senior United Nations peacekeeping official has said.

New Delhi: A Committee to study and assess the impacts of the scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers (recognition of forest rights) Act, 2006, with regards to the Sustainable Management of Forest Resources has been constituted. A notification has been issued here today with constitution and the Terms of Reference of the Committee. The Committee shall submit its report within three months from the date of its constitution.

The Keoladeo National park, a World Heritage Site which was previously the private duck shooting preserve of the Maharaja of Bharatpur, designated as bird sanctuary on 13 March 1956 and a National Park on 10th March 1982 was included in the World Heritage List in 1985. It was also notified as Ramsar Site in October 1981.

New Delhi: The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on Road Sector has endorsed the proposal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for the four BOT (Annuity) Projects of Arunachal package for consideration by Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI).

New Delhi: The Board of Approval of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) met here today to consider proposals for setting up of Special Economic Zones and also to approve other miscellaneous requests pertaining to SEZs.

New York: The United Nations agency that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction and environmental sustainability has teamed up with the Government of India in a $40-million pilot project to help the country's healthcare system dispose of hazardous medical waste.