-The Telegraph New delhi: Overall, the south has done best, with 39 among the top 100, followed by 27 from the east, 15 from the west, 12 from the north and 7 from the Northeast. Of the 27 state capitals surveyed, 15 have made it to the top 100 while five have ranked below 300. Bangalore leads the list of capitals, while Patna comes last at 429. Among the other major eastern...

-PTI New delhi: There has been a rush for registration of political parties, with as many as 239 new outfits enrolling themselves with the Election Commission between March, 2014 and July this year, taking their number to 1,866. According to the Commission, as on July 24, there are 1,866 political parties which are registered with it. Out of these, 56 are recognised as registered national or state parties, while the rest are...

-The Times of India NEW delhi: Information and broadcasting ministry's notice to four TV channels — Aaj Tak, ABP News, NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India— for their coverage of Yakub Memon's hanging has been slammed by media associations and eminent citizens who see this is an attempt to intimidate and muzzle the media. The channels have been accused of casting aspersions on the integrity of the President and judiciary, inciting violence and...

-Economic and Political Weekly The Indian weaver is dismissed in high places as an embarrassing anachronism, despite demand for his or her skills and products. In the new millennium, globalisation and a mindless acquiescence to imported notions of a good life threaten to take over, even as the West looks East for better concepts of sustainable living. Analysing today's crisis in the handloom sector, plagued by low-cost imitations from power looms,...

-Economic and Political Weekly A number of state agencies and non-governmental organisations have come forward to facilitate farmers/breeders to register their crop varieties and obtain plant variety certifi cates. But can these agencies bring forth a change in the mindset of the small farmers and seed savers' groups who view the current intellectual property regime with scepticism and continue to keep away from it? Shalini Bhutani (shalinibhutani@hotmail.com) is a legal researcher and...