BHOPAL: The state government move to appoint chief information commissioner (CIC) by the end of April may hit a roadblock with the Supreme Court stating Friday that it would lay down guidelines to ensure that posts of information commissioners at the centre and state commissions do not become "property of a political set-up". The post of state's CIC is lying vacant following the retirement of P P Tiwari on March 26...

The Central Government has ordered States to take all possible measures to combat a wave of child marriages which authorities fear will take place across the Hindu heartland on Tuesday, on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. In a letter to the States, the Women and Child Welfare Ministry has warned governments that child marriage is illegal under the Prohibition of Child Marriages Act, 2006. The Ministry has suggested that all district magistrates...

-The Hindu Sleuths from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches in 12 locations in Lucknow district on Saturday in connection with the multi-crore foodgrains scam in Uttar Pradesh. The scam relates to sale of wheat and rice — meant for distribution to the poor — in the black market from 2002 to 2007, and was estimated to be of the order of around Rs. 35,000 crore. The locations included those in...

-The Times of India NAGPUR: The recent attacks on the security forces interspersed with a spate of civilian killings in eastern Vidarbha's most dreaded Naxal bastion Gadchiroli has set a trail of fear in the tribal district. With the rebels' annual 'Tactical counter offensive campaign' (TCOC) already underway in their strongholds nationwide, the Naxal violence is expected to escalate in the affected hinterlands. Security sources stated that Naxals generally conduct TCOC in...

-The Telegraph The Centre has clarified that none of the provisions in the Right to Education Act (RTE) will apply to unaided minority institutes, an exemption that can have several implications for some of the most reputable schools in Calcutta. The exemption means unaided minority schools, if they choose to, can reconsider the mandatory auto-promotion policy till Class VIII and explore ways of disciplining students without inflicting physical pain. Although the central clarification...