Today, the Indian media—both print and television—is focusing on the recent corruption scandals involving the UPA Government with unusual zeal. However, I fail to understand why almost every commentator, every TV anchor, every editorial writer feels compelled to pay ritual obeisance to the “personal honesty and integrity” of Dr Manmohan Singh while dealing with the scandals emanating from his cabinet colleagues. They do so even when there is clear evidence...

In a matter relating to displacement of Adivasi population in Kokrajhar district of western Assam the Gauhati High Court accepted a status report from petitioners in the matter. Petitioners were displaced on account of violence in the 1980's against them and had approached the court seeking relief.Petitioners who were driven out of their homes during a communal riot at the time of autonomy movement of Bodo tribal community in Assam...

Bengal is among three states that have opposed a human resource development ministry proposal to set up a national watchdog to monitor school textbooks adopted by education boards. The other two dissenting states are Gujarat and Orissa. Fourteen states and Union territories have supported the idea, though. The ministry had sought the opinion of the states and the Union territories on the proposal to set up a National Textbook Council (NTC) that...

Led by C. Rangarajan, it has been appointed by Manmohan In a significant move, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has formed an experts group chaired by the chief of Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, C. Rangarajan, to examine the recommendations of the Sonia Gandhi-headed National Advisory Council on the proposed food security Bill. The move surprised members of the council who met here on Friday to discuss the draft of the National Food...

The National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by Sonia Gandhi, will give final shape to a draft food security law incorporating its suggestion of differential legal entitlement of foodgrains to nearly 800 million people through a reformed PDS network. Some members of the NAC were keen to on drafting the food security bill themselves and we will discuss the matter on Friday, a member of the advisory panel told PTI. "Our endeavour...