Indian PM: Sustainable growth biggest challenge

In his speech presenting the "report card" on the first two years of his government's second term, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said maintaining growth while controlling inflation and seeking to push the benefits down to India's poorest people is the United Progressive Alliance coalition's biggest challenge, reports the Hindustan Times.

The report highlighted the strides the UPA's success in providing free midday meals to over 110 million children (as part of a program to increase school attendance and alleviate the worst effects of poverty), the paper said. It also emphasized the UPA's achievements in reducing the school dropout rate by half, improving per capita income, and doubling per capita vegetable and fruit availability, the paper said.