-The Times of India More than 17 lakh lawyers will strike work on Wednesday and Thursday, paralyzing judicial work across the country to protest against the Higher Education and Research Bill piloted by the HRD ministry, alleging that it would take away important academic regulatory powers from the Bar Council of India (BCI).  After exhausting its representations opposing the HER Bill, the regulatory body BCI on Monday said it had no option...

-Live Mint   Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh is advocating a new approach to fighting the Maoist insurgency that has gripped 78 districts so far. Apart from development and security, the approach involves politics and justice, he said. In an interview, Ramesh warned that in the rush to attain high growth rates, India was placing the interests of tribals below that of mining firms. The minister suggested the setting up of a...

Protests marked the 10th anniversary of the introduction of genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton in the country. Angry farmers urged parliamentarians to hold a special session to discuss the issue and ban the technology. Charging a few seed companies, particularly Monsanto, with monopolising the seed industry and setting the agenda for the government, social activists urged policy-makers and farmers to reject the hype around Bt cotton and demanded a comprehensive review....

-The Economic Times Team Anna found itself an 'untouchable' when politicians across the aisle attacked it in Parliament for calling parliamentarians thieves and dacoits. It was a rare moment of unanimity in the Lok Sabha on Monday as outraged members condemned Team Anna saying it had crossed all limits of decorum by using such unparliamentary words during its day-long fast at Jantar Mantar on Sunday.  However, Arvind Kejriwal, who was in the...

-The Economic Times   Anna Hazare and his team were once again on the confrontation course with the Manmohan Singh government, with the activist setting 2014 - which coincides with the next general elections - as the deadline for converting the Jan Lokpal bill, drafted by them, into a law.  "Government's intention is not clear on removing corruption and that is why they are not bringing Jan Lokpal Bill," alleged Hazare while staging...