Illegality in India today touches almost every economic activity. It is both systemic and systematic. The Indian ruling class faced its severest crisis of credibility in 2010. Its past caught up with it and skeletons and scams were spilling out of its closets. The scams have a symbiotic relationship with the black economy. The number of scams is growing and so is the size of the black economy, which has reached...

Stir likely to be intensified if project gets green signal With the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests set to take a final decision on the proposed steel plant project of Posco-India Private Limited on Monday, Orissa villagers facing displacement have decided to intensify their agitation if the Ministry order went in favour of the company. That a majority of villagers in the three gram panchayats of Dhinkia, Gadakujang and Gobindpur in...

A survey has confirmed apprehensions among health experts that school canteens in India’s metros expose kids overwhelmingly to junk food, while healthy options are largely absent from the menu. The survey of canteens in 20 private schools across the National Capital Region suggests that burgers, patties, and packaged foods such as chips are among the most sold in canteens, and fresh cooked food the least popular. Nutrition specialists say the findings, although...

Hundreds of thousands of government workers in India are protesting against the brutal killing of an official in the western state of Maharashtra. Yashwant Sonawane was burnt to death while investigating a fuel racket. Nine people have been arrested in connection with Tuesday's murder which has shocked people across India. Mr Sonawane's death is being blamed by the government on the so-called fuel mafia - criminals who steal petrol and mix it with...

Nearly a dozen Dalit families have left this village in the last 15 days as last year's violence in Mirchpur has come back to haunt them. It was here that a 70-year-old and his physically-challenged daughter were killed in an attack by the dominant Jat community. The fear of violence from Jats, who have over the past 12 days staged protests demanding the release of those arrested for the incident in...