-The Hindustan Times With the pressure off on the government for setting up the lokpal, the law ministry has joined its various counterparts and departments in opposing many key provisions of the anti-graft bill, rendering its future uncertain. Interestingly, the ministry had drafted and given legal clearance to the bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on December 27, 2011. It has conveyed its views to the Rajya Sabha select committee, which is examining the...

-The Telegraph The Supreme Court has struck down the grace marks of up to 30 per cent given to rurally posted government doctors in admissions to postgraduate medical degree courses in Odisha. Its verdict yesterday set aside an Orissa High Court order that upheld the grace marks — 10 per cent per completed year of rural service up to three years — given in the state, and therefore applies only to Odisha. But...

-The Economic Times It is a wake up call for the government and its efforts to improve the quality of schooling through the Right to Education. The number of children enrolled in government primary schools has dropped by 21 lakh between 2009-10 and 2010-11 while there has been an increase of 11 lakh in enrolment in private schools. The biggest decline in government primary school enrollment was in Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand,...

-The Hindu While government pushes for affirmative action in private industry, players differ on the methodology to be followed Even as P.L. Punia, Chairman, National Commission for Scheduled Castes said that reservations for marginalised communities in the private sphere should be mandated, industry members differed on the strategy for affirmative action. While everybody acknowledged the problems faced by marginalised communities and the need to find solutions, they did not agree on the way...

-The Telegraph One person was killed and 30 were injured when alleged casteist remarks ignited clashes between supervisors and workers at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant today. Work has been suspended at the factory of India’s largest carmaker, which has been sitting on a labour-relations powder keg. “Work at the Manesar plant had to be stopped following the violence,” the company said. “One person was killed in the clash between supervisors and workers inside...