-The Hindu There is little transparency in the regularisation of unauthorised colonies in Delhi Earlier this week, acting on behalf of the Delhi government, the Chief Minister wrote a letter to the President asking for a probe against the former Chief Minister, reportedly for "alleged irregularities in the regularisation of unauthorised colonies in Delhi". This follows the Delhi Lokayukta's finding in November 2013 that the "issuance of the PRC [provisional regularisation certificates]...

-PTI NEW DELHI: Apparently taking a leaf out of Aam Aadmi Party's strategy, the government is mulling a proposal to make it mandatory for Union ministries to elicit public opinion before framing legislations. To take the proposal forward, the Cabinet secretariat may convene a meeting of secretaries of the various ministries and departments before a final call is taken on it. "The proposal requires all central ministries to elicit public views on legislations...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The ban on news on private and community radio channels could be lifted soon. The information & broadcasting ministry is learned to be reconsidering its stand that insists on a government monopoly on radio news. Commercial and community radio are currently not allowed to broadcast news or current affairs. Ministry sources say the re-think is because of a combination of reasons. For one, the Supreme Court recently...

-The Indian Express Asserting its supremacy over the executive, the Supreme Court Tuesday ruled that the Centre's approval was not required to investigate officers of Joint Secretary level and above when a constitutional court monitors the probe. In what it described as "substitution of a forum - from a minister to a constitutional court," a Bench led by Justice R M Lodha said the necessity of prior sanction under Section 6A of...

-IPS   Food security activists who secured a moratorium on introducing genetically modified brinjal (aubergine) into India fear that their efforts are being undermined by the release of GM brinjal in neighbouring Bangladesh. "India and Bangladesh share a long and porous border and it is easy for GM brinjal varieties to be brought over," says Suman Sahai, director of Gene Campaign, a Delhi-based research and advocacy group devoted to the conservation of...