-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Security and intelligence organizations continue to work under the veil of secrecy with minimal scrutiny from Parliament and judiciary. Nearly half of them have not bothered to disclose the number of RTI applications received in the last seven years. About 11 or 44% of the 25 security agencies including Intelligence Bureau, RAW, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Aviation Research Centre among others have not reported the...

-The Indian Express A standoff between the ministries of tribal affairs and environment and forests over the issue of clearances has stalled three key projects, prompting Nripendra Misra, principal secretary to the Prime Minister, to intervene and question the delay. The projects, which are being tracked by the project monitoring group (PMG) of the CABinet committee on investment, are in three different parts of the country: the 2×500 MW project of...

-Outlook Bengaluru: Facing attack over the new Land Acquisition Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the land records would be "reformed" for farmers' benefit and attacked opposition for "spreading lies" that the government is working against the interests of the farming community. Addressing a public meeting here, he said his government was working to empower the farmers as it realises that the nation cannot make progress till villages develop. Contending that he...

-The Hindu The new ordinance incorporates the nine amendments adopted by the Lok Sabha. President Pranab Mukherjee signed on Friday the new Land Acquisition Ordinance recommended by the Union CABinet on March 31, official sources told The Hindu. The earlier ordinance, which could not be converted into law, will lapse on April 5. The government move drew a sharp response from the Congress, which decried the government's "disregard" for parliamentary democracy and Prime...

-The Indian Express Days after getting the Rajya Sabha prorogued, the government moved towards getting the Land Acquisition Ordinance re-promulgated with the Union CABinet learnt to have given its approval for such repromulgation in its meeting held on Thursday. The Land Acquisition Ordinance - promulgated on December 31, 2014 - was set to lapse on April 5. Having managed to get the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation...