-The Indian Express Punjab is a case study in agricultural and economic mismanagement in India From the breadbasket of India, Punjab has become a basket-case economy. Endowed with ample water and good soil, Punjab’s happy, progressive people had a dream that is now a distant memory. Punjab’s decline started with its trifurcation. In its bid to establish a separate identity, the poli-tical establishment obsessed over a religious-political agenda and steered the state...

-The Indian Express The FIU generated 17 suspicious transaction reports (STRs) related to PEPs in the last one year. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has stepped up its surveillance on high value transactions by politicians, senior bureaucrats and their immediate relatives who fall under the “politically exposed persons” (PEP) category. According to sources, the FIU generated 17 suspicious transaction reports (STRs) related to PEPs in the last one year. All these cases...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government has strongly favoured retention of the capital punishment with the two government-appointed nominees submitting their dissent notes on the Law Commission's recommendation on phased abolition of death penalty. The panel, in its 242-page report submitted to the government and the Supreme Court on Monday, recommended abolition of death penalty for all crimes other than Terrorism-related offences and waging war against the country. Releasing...

-Hindustan Times The Narendra Modi government on Thursday called the debate on abolishing capital punishment “legitimate” but made it clear there was no way India could afford to take the leap now due to Terrorism in India and the country’s disturbed neighbourhood. Finance minister Arun Jaitley also rejected suggestions that the government had been in a hurry to execute 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts convict Yakub Memon and made it clear that...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: In order to ensure speedy trial in cases of human rights violations, the Supreme Court has asked all the states to set up special courts in each district. It has also directed the state governments to install CCTV cameras in all prisons, apart from police stations, within one year to keep an eye on activities which may lead to human rights violations of inmates. "With regard...