-The Indian Express Three new reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India increased the heat on the embattled government on Friday. The statutory auditor’s report on coal block allocations, implementation of public-private partnership at the Delhi International Airport and the award of ultra mega power projects (UMPP), tabled in Parliament, accused the government of indulging in favouritism, irregularities in bidding processes, and causing massive losses to the exchequer. The...

-PTI Parliament's Public Accounts Committee will soon decide on taking up the three CAG reports on coal blocks, Delhi international airport and power projects tabled in Parliament today. "The time will be decided to take up the reports shortly and future course of action will be decided as per rules," PAC chairman and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said here. He said the committee will seek necessary documents from the various ministries. "...Witnesses...

-PTI Undisclosed income of Indians totalling Rs 565 crore has been detected in France, according to Income Tax authorities, indicating that the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement is showing results.  The figure was disclosed in the information that India received from France on Indians having bank accounts, under the exchange of information clause of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with the European country.  In 219 cases, the tax authorities have detected undisclosed income...

-PTI The role of the Urban Development Ministry, responsible for creating infrastructure for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, has come under the scanner of the PAC which has flagged some serious issues regarding delay in getting environmental clearance and extending "undue favour" to a private company in awarding contracts. While responding to Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) query on the "inordinate delay" in approaching the Environment Ministry for getting clearance, the Urban Development...

Recently, the Indian Council of Social Science Research, the highest body that funds and guides the social sciences in India, has initiated an in-house debate about the current state and the future prospects of such research. What is the quality of work that has come out of our universities and research institutes over the past 10-20 years? Which new areas of inquiry deserve more time, money and attention in the...