In a clear indictment of the Punjab Police and the state government, National Commission for Women chairperson Girija Vyas set up a committee to examine the Ruchika Girhotra case. The NCW is also examining whether it can file a case to get damage compensation for Ruchika Girhotra's family. Vyas told reporters that she was setting up a committee of lawyers to examine the sequence of events that took place in...

The Copenhagen Accord on climate change marks a shift from a government pledge to Parliament, environment minister Jairam Ramesh accepted today, but asserted that this would not compromise India’s sovereignty. Ramesh had committed to Parliament before leaving for the UN climate summit in Copenhagen earlier this month that India would only provide information about its domestic actions to curb greenhouse emission to the international community. But the accord crafted on...

From next year, on swearing allegiance to the Queen, all members of Britain’s House of Lords will be required to sign a written commitment to honesty and integrity. Unexceptionable principles, one might say. But, until recently, it was assumed that persons appointed to advise the sovereign were already of sufficient honesty and integrity to do so. They were assumed to be recruited from groups with internalised codes of honour. No...

By endorsing the Copenhagen Accord at the just-concluded U.N. climate meet, India has failed to protect the interests of the people most affected by climate change not only in India but worldwide, environmental group Greenpeace said on Tuesday. Reacting to the Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh’s statement on India’s position at Copenhagen on climate change, it said India shirked its responsibility to show leadership and let down the most impacted communities...

There are two reasons why the Indian Supreme Court is considered the world’s most powerful. First, Supreme Court judges self-appoint, with no inter-institutional checks and balances. Second, dismissing a judge is so difficult that it has not been done so far. Many of the recent criticisms of the apex court’s perceived opacity have focused on these procedures for appointment and dismissal. The proposed Judges Standards and Accountability Bill is one...