-Down to Earth Agricultural markets have turned into centres of political power, say farmers' organisations The new BJP government in Maharashtra has dismissed 166 agricultural produce market committees (APMCs), including the apex Navi Mumbai APMC, following thousands of complaints of irregularities and misconduct received against them. An order to this effect was issued on Monday, November 10, to the director of agricultural marketing in the state. Agriculture Secretary Sudhir Goyal informed that the...

-Business Standard State expects more investment as industry cheers move Paving the way for the first set of labour reforms in the country, President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent to Rajasthan's amendments to three laws. Among major changes, the Industrial Disputes Act will allow companies employing up to 300 staffers to lay off workers or close down without taking the government's prior approval. Earlier, those with up to 100 employees...

-The Indian Express The era of globalised markets is also an era of globalised sovereignties. Nation states must constantly sync their policies with global constituencies of policies and citizens. At times, domestic disharmony is the price nation states may be required and willing to pay. The case in point here is the proposed review of the intellectual property rights (IPR) policy, particularly those clauses that are related to pharmaceutical patent policy....

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Supreme Court today castigated the governments of Chhattisgarh and Bihar for providing inadequate and inaccurate data on missing children and for not adhering to its order on mandatory FIRs. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu, Justices A.K. Sikri and Arun Misra, which heard representatives of both states, asked them to file fresh affidavits detailing the number of children rescued and the number of FIRs filed while...

-Governance Now Government surrendering assets to private players in educational field, alleges national RTE forum; plans to start nationwide campaign for last 150 days till final deadline for implementation of RTE Act on March 31, 2015 About 1 lakh schools have been closed down across the country since the enactment of the Right to Education (RTE) Act in April 2010, according to data compiled by a civil society organisation tracking the...