-The Hindu Local governments remain hamstrung and ineffective — mere agents to do the bidding of higher level governments Democratic decentralisation is barely alive in India. Over 25 years after the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments (they mandated the establishment of panchayats and municipalities as elected local governments) devolved a range of powers and responsibilities and made them accountable to the people for their implementation, very little and actual progress has been...

-The Hindu “Orders have been issued to five public institutions including IIT-Madras, IIT-Kharagpur, DU and University of Hyderabad, declaring them as IoEs,” Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said. New Delhi: The Human Resource Development Ministry has awarded the status of Institute of Eminence to the IIT-Madras, the IIT-Kharagpur, Delhi University, Benares Hindu University and the University of Hyderabad, said an official statement. Four private universities — the Vellore Institute of Technology, Amrita...

-National Herald Figures prove due to special status, J&K outscored Gujarat on selected indicators. As per Dreze it is an illusion that removing Article 370 will bring development in the Valley Life expectancy at birth is higher in Jammu and Kashmir which is depicted as a terrorist-state by media as compared to Gujarat which is projected as a model state in India; percentage of the rural population living below the poverty line...

-The Hindu With the kernel of the Information Act under threat, the independence of the information commission is in peril When we describe India as a democracy what do we really mean? Are we referring merely to a system of popular sovereignty founded in universal adult franchise? Or are we suggesting something more — perhaps an assurance, grounded in the Constitution, of a set of rights, of the rights, among others, to...

-TheWire.in Over the years, the parliament, under powers granted by Article 368, added a number of constitutional provisions under Article 371 to grant special powers and privileges to several states. New Delhi: The announcement of the Narendra Modi government’s decision in parliament to scrap the exclusive position enjoyed by the state of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the constitution has brought about mixed responses from both political parties and the...