Niti Aayog may set up panel to draw up a new poverty line

NEW DELHI: The BJP government may soon come out with a new definition of poverty, with the Niti Aayog likely to set up a panel of experts to formulate a new 'poverty line'. The re-look at the controversial issue was necessitated as the Niti Aayog has to measure the impact of the government's anti-poverty schemes and other welfare initiatives, and set a target for poverty reduction while preparing its first 15-year vision document and seven-year strategy paper, which have replaced The Aayog, successor of the Planning Commission, is treading with caution on the estimation of the poverty line as the issue triggered a big controversy during UPA's tenure. Considering the sensitivity of the issue, a Niti Aayog official said the new poverty line will only define poverty, and won't be used to identify the poor or allocate resources under government schemes. It will purely be a tool to measure the impact of programmes, the official added. A top source said Niti Aayog vice-chairma .. 

Brookfield Asset Management eyes Reliance Communications’ tower company

KOLKATA: US private equity firm Brookfield Asset Management has emerged a serious bidder to buy Reliance CommunicationsBSE -3.15 %' stake in its tower unit, three people aware of the matter told ET. The talks with Brookfield follow Sanjiv Ahuja-led Tillman Global Holdings' failure to find a suitable financier for the Anil Ambani-led telco's tower assets. RCom's plans to sell its Reliance

Telecom losses reported during UPA rule: Ravi Shankar Prasad

NEW DELHI: Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad attacked the Congress over its allegations of a Rs 46,000 crore telecom scam, saying that the underreporting of revenue and related losses took place during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance led government. "Congress had made the department of telecom a den of corruption," Prasad said, while clarifying that "underreporting" of revenue was different from the figure of "underpayment" to the government. 

Skill India or kill India: How to cope with the impending demographic deluge

As the politics of fear and insecurity spreads its shadow over the Western world, and robots and 3D printing threaten to dislodge blue-collar workers worldwide, the jobs story is grim in the world's fastest growing economy as well. At current rates, India will add 80 million new job-seekers by 2025, most of them unskilled. With 30 million new jobs projected at current rates, the picture turns depressing very quickly.
Higher education remains beyond the reach of three-quarters ..