-The Indian Express RTI Act needs to be protected against attempts to dilute it. RTI activists must be made less vulnerable In April, the government of India proposed amendments to the RTI Act, one of the most empowering pieces of legislation inherited from the UPA era. The most controversial amendment pertained to Rule 12. It would allow the withdrawal of an application in case of the applicant’s death, making the job of...
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Prof. Devesh Kapur, director of the Center for the Advanced Study of India at the University of Pennsylvania, interviewed by Anuradha Raman (The Hindu)
-The Hindu The political scientist on the danger to India’s checks and balances, and the perils of the democratisation of mediocrity in universities Professor of political science and a holder of the Madan Lal Sobti Chair, Devesh Kapur has been director of the Center for the Study of Contemporary India at University of Pennsylvania since 2006. Mr. Kapur, who recently co-edited Public Institutions in India: Performance and Design, says our public universities...
More »Sharp rise in rape, molestation cases make women feel unsafe in Gurgaon -Anshika Tiwari and Shivika Jain
-Hindustan Times Till June, 2017, as many as 58 rape cases have been registered in Gurgaon. Women said they feel unsafe commuting to and from work With a spurt in rape, molestation and other crimes against women in Gurgaon, the women no longer feel safe in the city. Incidents of eve teasing and harassment have also raised concern over women’s safety in the city. “I don’t prefer going out alone after 9 pm. This...
More »Yogendra Yadav, convenor of Swaraj Party, interviewed by Archana Mishra (GovernanceNow.com)
-GovernanceNow.com As farmers protests take centre stage across the country, Swaraj Party convenor explains the ecological, economic and existential crisis behind this unrest. * We have recently seen farmers from Tamil Nadu protesting in the national capital. Then Maharashtra farmers protested, deciding not to send their produce to cities. The agitation has now reached Madhya Pradesh, leading to killings. Why there is sudden farmers’ unrest in the country? I think we...
More »Maharashtra's agriculture conundrum: How sugarcane politics roiled other nutrition crops in the state -RN Bhaskar
-Firstpost.com The battle for the rural heartland has commenced in full earnest. Even though the two main opposition parties are not officially behind the strike called by farmers, their support and muscle is in full evidence. Surprisingly, the Shiv Sena – an alliance partner of the present government -- has also supported the agitation. Yesterday, milk and vegetables had to be brought into some of Maharashtra’s cities under police escort. The shrill...
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