-The Deccan Herald   The governor is a public authority and cannot claim immunity from the Right to Information Act (RTI) 2005, the Bombay High Court ruled on Monday. The judgment pronounced via video-conferencing between Justice D G Karnik SITting in Mumbai and Justice F M Reis in Panaji brings to an end a year-long stand-off between an activist lawyer and the Goa Raj Bhavan over his application for documents under RTI. In December...

-The Pioneer   Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said on Monday that though the decision-making process had slowed down after the RTI Act came into effect, the legislation had indeed facilitated transparency in governance. “Everybody has become extremely cautious (because of the RTI Act). There is no doubt that the decision-making has slowed down. In that tranSITion period, we are moving towards much more transparent governance which will pay us dividends in future,”...

To gain a foothold in forest areas first Maoist rebels, who resurfaced in Telangana, are now planning to start a new students' organisation called Adivasi Vidyarthi Sangam (AVS) to mobilise tribal students to fight for their rights and welfare activities. The formation of AVS is being seen as a part of the overall Maoist strategy to revive the defunct mass organisations, which helped spread revolutionary activity. Information culled from different sources indicates...

-The Times of India   The state government on Friday chargesheeted suspended Bhartpur district collector and superintendent of police in connection with the Gopalgarh violence. The collector, Kunal Krishna an IAS officer of 2003 batch, and IPs officer Hinglaj Dan were suspended for laxity in their duties while controlling the SITuation in Gopalgarh which claimed 10 lives. On September 14, the small town in Bharatpur district witnessed violent clashes between Meo Muslims and Gujjars...

Wajahat Habibullah, chairperson, National Commission for Minorities, speaks to Kavita Chowdhury on reservation for Muslims, the RTI Act and the controversy over withdrawal of AFSPA in Kashmir. You had recently viSITed Rajasthan. In Bharatpur district’s Gopalgarh village, some members of the minority community, Mev Muslims, were killed and the state administration was accused of mishandling the matter. What is your view? A communal riot is an unpardonable crime. The state government has taken...