-Economic and Political Weekly  The Government of India is considering a proposal to notify farming as an essential service. This is ostensibly to bring drought relief to farmers suffering from a weak monsoon - a laudable goal indeed. However, if farming is deemed an "essential service", farmers and farm workers could lose many of their political and civic rights because the government can then invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act to...

-NDTV Kudankulam: With enriched uranium fuel set to be loaded in the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu, protests against the controversial project were intensified again today. An uneasy calm prevailed at the nuclear plant with anti-nuclear protesters bracing for a showdown with authorities. Villagers in and around the site of the plant held a rally today to reiterate their demand of shutting down the controversial nuclear plant. Defying prohibitory orders,...

-Outlook Jodhpur: A veteran BJP MLA went on a sit-in hunger strike here today demanding repair of roads and cleaning of drains, forcing municipal officials to assure her immediate action. Surya Kanta Vyas, a legislator from Soorsagar constituency, began her strike at 10 am along with some supporters including BJP corporators and other party cadres. Around 4 pm, the CEO of Jodhpur Municipal Corporation (JMC) and other officials of the district administration arrived...

-The Hindu Rajesh Khanna may have immortalised a few lines that are easily recalled by everyone — “Pushpa, I hate tears” — but he will certainly not be remembered for his political speeches. Yet, one particular speech stands out in my memory. It was reported in the papers and it has stayed in my memory even though years have passed. In the speech, made in Calcutta during the 1989 general elections when...

-The Times of India MUMBAI: A year ago, nothing could go wrong for 73-year-old Anna Hazare. The antigraft crusader's campaign attracted a groundswell from a disillusioned populace tired of corruption as a way of life. The movement succeeded in building Anna into a brand that millions of Indian consumers — most of them young and social media-savvy — bought into. A year down the line, that brand is frayed at the seams. The...