-The Economic Times After one failed attempt in 2009, the Delhi government is making yet another effort to make plastic bags history in Delhi. This time the proposed blanket ban comes with zero tolerance to even plastic used to cover school books, magazines and invitation cards. These are some of the provisions of a proposal of the environment department for imposing a ban on not just sale and use but even...

-Frontline The Central government notifies new RTI rules, which effectively curb citizens’ right to obtain information.  ON July 31, the Central government notified new rules to implement the Right to Information Act, 2005. The rules will come into force once the Central government tables the Notification in Parliament and both Houses of Parliament agree to it. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has not published these rules on its website as...

-The Hindustan Times The controversy over on-screen smoking seems to have intensified, with the Centre on Tuesday saying Indian tradition does not promote smoking by women, in the Supreme Court. Referring to Madhur Bhandarkar's forthcoming movie Heroine, senior advocate V Shekhar, representing the health ministry, told the SC that the Notification allowing on-screen smoking with riders would be issued on September 14. The film's producer, UTV Productions, had questioned the proposed rule before...

-PTI The government’s attempts to push through a bill to set up AIIMS-like institutions in the country failed today with Left parties objecting to passing it without discussion. After the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2012 was moved by minister of state for health and family welfare S. Gandhiselvan, Left members were on their feet in the Rajya Sabha, with some from the CPM storming the well. As the BJP raised...

-The Times of India Criticized for tardy probe progress coupled with acute shortage of officers to investigate cases, the CBI got a relief in National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam investigations as the Uttar Pradesh government has constituted a special court for all the health scheme fraud cases. The UP government issued a Notification on August 28, constituting a Special Court especially for NRHM cases in Ghaziabad. The court of Session Judge...