-TheWire.in New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that politicians cannot seek votes on the grounds of caste, creed or religion. The landmark judgment came while the court revisited a judgment from 1995 that equated Hindutva with Hinduism and called it a “way of life” and said a candidate was not necessarily violating the law if votes were sought on this plank. Several petitions filed over the years have challenged that verdict....

-TheWire.in For a community that trades in oxen, the rise in cow vigilantism has meant a loss of livelihood. Continued apathy from the state hasn’t helped. Rajasmand, Rajasthan: Dadri, Una and now Railmangra. How many more? Emboldened by their proximity to state power and riding the wave of religious fanaticism, self-appointed gau rakshaks have unleashed terror across the country. For communities that deal with cattle in any form, it has rapidly brought...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: A seven-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court today took up for consideration the question whether the use of religion and caste in elections amounts to "corrupt practice", warranting disqualification under the Representation of Peoples Act. The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur, during the day-long hearing posed several questions for which it has sought answers from various counsel appearing in the matter. The bench was...

-The Tribune A confession by IMF economists in the flagship magazine stating that the kind of growth promoted by neoliberalism promotes inequality has created a buzz. Once in a while, something unexpected happens so stunningly that one finds it unbelievable in the first instance. A group of three economists in IMF's research department has written a joint paper criticising some key aspects of IMF's creed of neo-liberalism. It appears as unbelievable as...

-News18.com The US State Department for Human Rights in its report for 2015 has slammed India for its record on encounter killing and has observed that judicial corruption is widespread in the country. The report also mentioned the Malegaon case the allegation is that the National Investigation Agency was "going soft" on Hindutva elements over the Malegaon blasts case. The report said there were 555 “encounter killings,” by security forces and police between...