-The Indian Express The Centre has defended before the Supreme Court its decision to wind up the Justice MB Shah Commission, which was set up to inquire into illegal mining activities across several states. The government, in an affidavit, has pointed out that not only was the original tenure of the panel been extended from 18 to 33 months, the government was also taking appropriate follow-up actions on the basis of commission's...

-The Hindu The Gujarat snooping incident should be used as an opportunity to ask how the government has assumed the power to order such invasive, unchecked surveillance. On November 15, a pair of investigative portals released a set of audio transcripts depicting an extraordinarily invasive and scrupulous surveillance of a young woman by the Gujarat Police. Its implications, limited as they may appear to those who consider privacy a besmirched value, in...

-The Network of Women in Media (India) Recent developments at the weekly news magazine Tehelka demonstrate that media houses have a long way to go in ensuring safety for women media professionals. A journalist working with Tehelka revealed that she was sexually assaulted by the editor, Tarun Tejpal, on two occasions on 7 and 8 November 2013. The repeated harassment and assault over two days took place during Tehelka's "Think" festival in...

-The Hindu ‘Report has permitted uncontrolled quarrying in most parts of ghats' Kochi (Kerala): The Kasturirangan report has thrown open the ecologically sensitive areas of Western Ghats to mindless exploitation which would seriously hazard ecology, according to its critics. According to member of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) V.S. Vijayan: the report has in a way permitted uncontrolled quarrying in most parts of the ghats regions of the State. Those...

-Outlook New Delhi: Under attack after CBI initiated probe into alleged irregularities in award of contract by Delhi Jal Board, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who is the chairperson of the body, today denied any wrongdoing and asserted that laid down norms were followed in deciding bids. She said the terms and conditions of tenders were formulated by "technocrats and officers" of DJB and as chairperson she has no role in it. "The Chief...