The Central government exempts the CBI from the Right To Information Act's purview without seeking Parliament's approval. THE Right to Information Act, 2005, originally exempted 18 public authorities under the Central government from disclosure of information. Section 24 of the Act provided this exemption to intelligence and security organisations specified in the Second Schedule of the Act, and permitted the Central government to amend the Schedule, by notification in the...

The results of the latest NSSO large survey on employment and unemployment provide crucial evidence on the pattern of inadequate job creation in this phase of high economic growth. This edition of MacroScan provides an initial analysis of the results. No sooner were the results of the 66th Round of the National Sample Survey Organisation (relating to data collected in 2009-10) released, than they became the subject of great controversy. Surprisingly,...

Delhi government’s promise that no student will be turned away from government schools in the city was belied by testimonies given by hundreds of parents at the People’s review of Right to Education (RTE) implementation on Wednesday. The review, organised by the Delhi Right to Education Forum, brought together aggrieved parents, education experts and social workers to address the issue of the non-implementation of RTE, despite the act being passed 15...

-The Times of India   Wednesday's Supreme Court decision which upheld Allahabad High Court's order quashing acquisition of land by UP government at Shahberi village in Noida has come as a shot in the arm of the farmers agitating across the state against forcible land acquisition. While Opposition parties used it to sharpen their attack on the Maya government, farmer organisations said it's a warning to the Centre and state governments...

As bank gears up for competition, it may further dilute environmental safeguard policies WITH financial institutions of emerging economies like India and China getting big time into development lending, the World Bank plans reforms to attract its borrowing countries. Some of the important plans are to disburse loans faster and on flexible terms. Bank watchers and civil society groups say the reforms, expected to be in force by the year-end, would...