-PTI Goa cannot have unlimited mining given its ecological sensitivity, the Mashelkar Committee said, demanding that the cap should be such that it will protect the environment and social well being of the state Panaji: A committee of experts constituted by the Goa government has recommended a cap on extraction of iron ore in the coastal state to 20-25 million metric tonnes (MMT), which is almost half the existing exports, reports PTI.   The...

-The United Nations Punitive laws and human rights abuses are costing lives, wasting money and stifling the global AIDS response, according to a report released today by a United Nations-backed commission.   Entitled HIV and the Law: Risks, Rights and Health, the report by the Global Commission on HIV and the Law – made up of former heads of state and leading legal, human rights and HIV experts, and supported by the UN...

-The Hindu Finding a home to rent in India's national capital is an arduous task for anyone - but, an investigation by The Hindu has found, almost impossible for citizens who happen to be Muslim. Homeowners and property dealers contacted by reporters often firmed up deals, only to be disqualified as soon as they revealed their religion. Housing apartheid was at its worst in New Delhi’s most affluent and educated neighbourhoods: New...

-The Telegraph The National Advisory Council is expected to soon release a 35-page document detailing the subjects it took up with the UPA II government and the “success” it achieved with these. The document will also outline the council’s future agenda. Sources in the council, headed by Sonia Gandhi, said the report was ready and merely needed to be ratified by all the members. The endorsement might come as early as tomorrow...

The railway ministry is helpless about the discomfort of railway passengers in reserved compartments who are outnumbered by passengers without tickets or with tickets meant for unreserved compartments   Last month, my friend’s daughter went on a trip to Corbett Park, which was organised by a Pune-based nature trail group. Although they had booked a Second Class (ordinary) reserved compartment, most of the 30-hour journey was spent in utter discomfort, with people...