-The Hindu Oblivious of the fact that misrepresentation on the Internet amounts to creation of false electronic record, which is punishable with even imprisonment, a large number of people, including minors, are opening accounts on social networking websites by making false disclosures about their name, age and place. Legal experts have cautioned that such misrepresentation can invite penal action. "Creating false electronic record is an offence under the Information Technology Act and...

-The Hindu   Explain how minors are getting into Facebook and Google, Delhi High Court asks govt. The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Union government to explain how it was allowing children below 18 years to open accounts in social networking sites such as Facebook and Google. A Division Bench of Justices B.D. Ahmed and Vibhu Bakhru asked the Centre to respond within 10 days when counsel for the former BJP leader,...

-Live Mint   panchayati raj minister V. Kishore Chandra Deo on how the system can function more effectively With the amendments that effected mandatory constitutional powers to panchayats and urban local bodies marking 20 years, V. Kishore Chandra Deo, Union minister for panchayati raj, acknowledged in an interview that the units of local self-governance could function more effectively. He also suggested that the three-tier system of panchayats could be improved to meet challenges...

-PTI Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh unit of the NCP, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) and the Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA) have decided to jointly fight the ensuing panchayat and municipal elections in the State slated for May 16 next. All the parties in a meeting yesterday decided to put up joint candidates for municipal and panchayat elections and also reached a seat sharing agreement in the 30-member municipality in Itanagar and...

-Live Mint Mani Shankar Aiyar, India's first panchyati raj minister, talks about the challenges the institutions face On Wednesday, India marked 20 years of panchayati raj, an exercise in devolving power to people at the grassroots. Rajya Sabha memberMani Shankar Aiyar was India's first panchyati raj minister, appointed to the newly created ministry in 2004. He headed a committee that examined the reasons why attempts at sharing power with self-governance units haven't...