-The Business Standard The Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, like its United Progressive Alliance (UPA) predecessor, seems to be failing on suo motu disclosures under the Right to Information Act (RTI). The department of personnel & training (DoPT) had last month issued an official memorandum directing all central ministries and departments to upload replies to RTI applications and first appeals on their respective websites from October 31. This had...

-The Hindu Business Line   The Open Government Data initiative is gaining ground, but it needs to be in step with the Central Information Commission Open government data (OGD) is fashionable. Governments and public institutions in Europe and other parts of the globe are making increasing numbers of datasets available to the public by means of national, regional, local or thematic portals, in keeping with their political commitments towards open government and open...

-Business Standard Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says India's proposals will be now reviewed by the WTO General Council Washington: India has reached an agreement with the United States on public stockpiling of food, trade minister Nirmala Sithamaran said on Thursday, paving the way for the implementation of a global trade facilitation deal that has been stalled for months. Under the pact with Washington, India will lift a veto on a global agreement on...

-The Business Standard CVC says provide protection to officer, investigate corruption; MCI president denies all allegations Union health minister Harsh Vardhan has kicked up yet another controversy by ordering the removal of the chief vigilance officer of the Medical Council of India (MCI), H K Jethi, instead of providing him protection after he complained of harassment and threats. This is the second time Vardhan has decided to remove an anti-graft officer. Earlier, he...

-The Indian Express   The NDA government's move to amend the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 in the coming winter session of Parliament has run into rough weather following differences between various government departments over whether government servants and their family members should declare their assets, and whether such information should be made public or not. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) is learnt to have sided with the bureaucracy in...