Following the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Orissa government has banned the practice of “bartan” system under which upper caste families extract work from barbers and washermen during important family occasions in return for just 15 kg of paddy for the whole year. Thanks to the efforts of petitioner Baghambar Patnaik, since 2006, the age-old practice has ended with the Panchayat Raj Department issuing the notification...

In further embarrassment to former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan, Income Tax authorities on Saturday said they have unearthed black money in possession of three of his relatives during their investigation into allegations of amassment of wealth by them. "As far as Justice Balakrishnan is concerned, I cannot say anything. But as far as his relatives-- two sons-in-law and brother are concerned, we have found there is black money", director...

By stubbornly overruling the National Advisory Council, the government risks defeating its purpose as a body that speaks for the poor and the disadvantaged. HAS the Manmohan Singh government begun to regard the National Advisory Council (NAC) as an adversary who should be undermined? Going by their exchanges on key issues such as food security, wages under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), and the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes...

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to submit its report on the Nandigram firing in West Bengal to enable it to consider whether to permit the agency to go ahead with its plea to prosecute the erring police officials. A Bench of Justices R.V. Raveendran and A.K. Patnaik was hearing a batch of petitions filed by the State, the CBI, the National Human Rights Commission and...

The former Chief Justice of India, K.G. Balakrishnan, who is currently the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission has objected to disclosing his income in the past five years as sought by an applicant under the Right to Information Act. Following his objection, the Income Tax Department has rejected the application made by T. Balachandran of Kochi. Dr. Balachandran had sought from the department certified copies of the income returns...