India has moved closer to eradication of polio, recording only 42 cases in 2010 compared to 741 in the previous year. Till February this year, only a single case has been reported from Howrah district in West Bengal, according to the India National Polioplus Committee of Rotary International. A special polio immunisation campaign was launched recently in Howrah, Kolkata, Murshidabad and adjoining areas by administering oral polio vaccine to the children there.
India's nuclear plants may soon get some additional safety features, including more provisions to add water to the reactors to deal with over heating of the core, a condition that led to the Fukushima nuclear accident. 
Government has said controversies involving some civil society members of the joint comm for drafting the Lokpal Bill would not affect its working and will work with the members to prepare a "strong and sound" anti-corruption legislation. 
Amid growing demand by environment activists and various political parties for a central ban on the use of endosulfan, Environment Min Jairam Ramesh has said the pesticide will be banned if its adverse effect on health is proved. "Endosulfan is banned in Kerala. I respect the decision of the government of Kerala and if there is evidence to show that it has all India health effects, we will ban it at the national level," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function in New Delhi on Friday. 
The National Green Tribunal, a judicial body exclusively to deal with environmental issues, is likely to start functioning from May with the Supreme Court lifting a stay imposed by Madras High Court on rules of appointment of its members. 
Industry body ASSOCHAM on Friday called on the private sector to involve themselves more in Panchayati raj institutions for better governance at the grass root level.
As the tussle seeking disclosure of names of people who have stashed black money abroad continues in Supreme Court, the Finance Ministry says it has "no authentic figures" about the quantum of money deposited in Swiss banks. 
Indian-American physician Siddhartha Mukherjee has become the fourth person of Indian origin to bag the prestigious Pulitzer Prize 2011 in the general non-fiction category for his acclaimed book on cancer, 'The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer'. 
Andhra Pradesh will receive Rs 4,000 crore assistance from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) under its agriculture refinance scheme for the fiscal year 2011-12.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), on Wednesday said it has approved USD 17.51 billion in financing operations last year to assist its developing member countries achieve their Millennium Development Goals. According to ADB's 2010 Annual Report, the multilateral lending agency approved USD 15.50 billion for investment support, USD 1.68 billion on policy-based support, and USD 327 million for technical assistance.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said it was a "national shame" that the practice of female foeticide was continuing in the country despite women breaking existing barriers to prove their worth in every sphere.
Alarmed over the declining child-sex ratio in the country, the Centre and state govts have decided on a slew of measures, including monitoring use of ultrasound machines and setting up state inspection committees to check pre-natal sex determination.The decisions was taken at a meeting on Wednesday (20/04/2011) chaired by Union Health Secretary K Chandramouli and attended by senior health ministry officials of 17 states and Union Territories, which have skewed sex ratio.
The new Companies Bill that seeks to replace a 50-year-old Act will come up for consideration and passage in the Monsoon session of Parliament."The Companies Bill will come in for discussion in Parliament in the Monsoon Session," Corporate Affairs Minister Murli Deora said on the sidelines of a FICCI event in Delhi.
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the central government to explain why its investigation in black money issue is focused only on one individual Hasan Ali Khan,the stud farm owner and why no other name has come out of those who have stashed money in overseas banks. Criticising Centre's probe, the apex court said the investigation into the issue required complete and full-fledged involvement of government.
Following are the excerpts of the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s concluding remarks at the Full Planning Commission meeting in New Delhi today: “We have had a very thorough and stimulating discussion of some of the critical issues that the economy will face in the Twelfth Plan period. 
Government will conduct a new survey for listing Below Poverty Line families. Talking to reporters in New Delhi on Thursday, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh conceded that there are lapses in the present system and many bogus names are included in the BPL list. Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia said poverty has shown a declining trend from 2004-05 as per the preliminary data available with the Commission. Speaking in New Delhi yesterday, he said the Commission has considered the Tendulkar Committee recommendations which had suggested that poverty should be estimated on the basis of consumption based on cost of living index instead of caloric intake. Mr. Ahluwalia said that in every area, there has been progress.
The planning commission held its full fledged meeting for the 12th five year plan wherein the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that planning commission and finance ministry should work together to ensure the fiscal consolidation vis a vis expansion of the economy.He hoped that economy would grow by 9 to 9.5 percent during the twelveth five year plan.