-The Hindu Disappointed by the government’s track record in implementing anti-corruption measures, a group of eminent citizens has decided to take the initiative of setting up a forum to hear complaints of corruption or malfeasance from whistleblowers. Called the Citizens Whistleblowers Forum (CWF), it would “act as a unique, credible platform to provide much-needed confidence to whistleblowers” to expose, without fear, “cases of corruption or wilful misuse of powers”, said a statement...

-The Hindu Fifteen % of candidates face criminal cases; over 50% of candidates' declare their educational qualification to be between ‘5th pass and 12th pass’ An analysis by election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has found that 38 candidates, or 15% of all, appearing in the coming election in Goa have criminal cases registered against them. Nineteen of them face serious criminal charges, including those of assault, murder, kidnap and rape. Topping...

-The Times of India MUMBAI: In a reprieve for Lawyers Collective, the NGO run by noted lawyer Indira Jaising, the Bombay high court on Monday by an interim order defreezed the non-FCRA/ domestic bank accounts of the organisation. Justice Mahesh Sonak, while admitting the petition filed by Lawyers Collective challenging the cancellation of its registration, also halted the Union government's directive to the charity commissioner to dispose off its assets. "The allegations...

-The Economic Times PUNE: Farmers are highly disappointed with Budget 2017 alleging that the Prime Minister has not done enough to fulfill his pre-election promises made to the farming community. The announcement of increasing farm credit to 10 lakh crore may not help much the small and marginalised farmers, who are outside the banking network. "About 60% of the farmers are outside the banking system. They depend upon the informal sector for loans....

-The Hindu Business Line Rising pest attacks are mounting pressure on cotton farmers even as prices play truant. Rajeshbhai Patel is not amused. The farmer in Kadi, northern Gujarat grew cotton on four bigha in this year’s kharif season, instead of 11 in 2016. He had reduced the acreage fearing increasing costs owing to pests attacks. But as cotton prices rule at unusually high levels in the ongoing harvest season, he...