-The Telegraph Ranchi: Sluggish economy and soaring personal aspirations are teaming up to create fertile ground for quick-rich chit fund schemes and non-banking finance companies such as the now-infamous Saradha to mushroom, but rules to give Jharkhand investors the much-needed safety net are hanging fire since over a year. Jharkhand Assembly had early last year forwarded rules framed by the state's institutional finance department for the President's consideration under The Chit Funds...

-The Hindu   Ranjit Sinha says CBI is part of government, not autonomous The widening sinkhole that the coal scam has become claimed its first victim on Wednesday as Additional Solicitor-General Harin Raval resigned for having misled the Supreme Court, while CBI Director Ranjit Sinha?brought the executive and the judiciary to the verge of open confrontation by stating that his agency was not an "autonomous organisation" but part of the government.? The CBI, which...

-Live Mint Lack of decentralization means municipalities lack power, resources to meet rising aspirations of ‘middle' India Othakadai, Madurai (Tamil Nadu)/Hubli (Karnataka): S. Paramasivam , president of the Othakadai panchayat, has big plans for his area. "Rainwater harvesting, removal of encroachments on roads, waste recycling, covered drainage, bigger primary health care centres and community parks," lists the 58-year-old, who has spent 30 years in the stainless steel business that dominates industry...

-Live Mint Almost two decades after the Panchayati Raj Act was notified, a key aim of the legislation remains unfulfilled Papapatti/Madurai district: S. Muruganadam, 38, is the Dalit president of the Papapatti village panchayat in Madurai district and a post-graduate in political science. His term ends in 2016 and he has made up his mind not to run for re-election. "I think a panchayat president's post is an important post because only he...

-The Indian Express In a big embarrassment to the government in the Coalgate case, the Supreme Court today termed as 'very disturbing' the CBI affidavit on sharing its report with the Law Minister and others and slammed the agency for having kept the court in the Dark on the issue. Hearing the coal blocks allocation scam case in a packed courtroom, the bench said 'suppression' of the fact that CBI has...