Professor Syed Iqbal Hasnain, whose research on the melting of the Himalayan glaciers, LED to a major controversy, on Wednesday blamed “certain prejudicial forces” for mounting a campaign against his “diligent” research. Speaking out for the first time since the London-based The Times quoted him as saying that his findings on the Himalayan glaciers melting by 2035 in the impact of climate change were “speculative,” Professor Hasnain said “vested interests...

A man who claimed he accepted a supari (contract) of Rs 1 lakh to kill RTI activist Satish Shetty but backed out when he realised his target was “working for the benefit of the common man” LED police in Pune to an advocate who has been arrested in connection with the Shetty murder case. Pune rural police today sought court permission for brain-mapping and a narco test on advocate Vijay...

Central Industrial Security Force jawans today allegedly opened fire on villagers who stoned them when asked not to collect money from IISCO Steel Plant-bound trucks at Burnpur. Ramesh Bauri, 23, took a bullet in his stomach. At the Asansol Subdivisional Hospital, his condition was said to be critical. An officer of the force claimed that the jawans had fired in the air but police said Bauri was injured in the CISF firing. A...

The ministry of personnel has shown a surprising lack of alacrity in prosecuting errant babus In August last year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was keynote speaker at the annual meeting of India’s premier anti-corruption agency, the CBI. There, addressing officers of the agency and state vigilance bureaus, he made a telling remark, “Our anti-corruption agencies must make the cost of corruption unacceptably high for those indulging in this evil practice.” The prime...

A Planning Commission evaluation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) has questioned the effectiveness of projects implemented under the Act in boosting productivity and creating assets. NREGA, the Union government’s flagship anti-poverty programme that promises 100 days of employment every year to the rural poor, is partly credited with driving the Congress-LED United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to victory in the April-May general election. In a presentation made at Prime Minister...