-The Telegraph The rural development ministry has claimed that an amended version of the land acquisition bill has taken into account concerns of industry though several cabinet ministers had blocked it last month fearing it would stall industrialisation. In a note last week to all members of a Group of Ministers (GoM) on the bill, the ministry said the revised draft had relaxed key provisions, including consent norms for acquisition of land...

-Frontline Reinstatement of the fundamental right to property in the Constitution will on its own do little to protect the interests of poor peasants and traditional communities.  The Indian Constitution adopted in 1950 guaranteed a set of fundamental rights that cannot be abridged by Central or State laws. One of these fundamental rights was the right to property enshrined in Articles 19(1)(f) and 31. Article 19(1)(f) guaranteed to all citizens the right...

-The Times of India An SMS alert that tells the position of stocks in ration shops. A front-to-back computerization tracking food grain movement from procurement to rations shops. And a swipe card to allow BPL users to access subsidized food grain. A two-stage Rs 4,200 crore recast of India's notoriously leaky public distribution system (PDS) is likely to considered by the Cabinet on Monday along with a Rs 1.25 lakh crore expansion...

-The Hindu Business Line A system that generates wealth and jobs for millions will be replaced by retail giants with the pricing power to squeeze farmers and consumers. The UPA Government announced its policy last week, of inviting big multinational retailers to come and take over the Indian market. Predictably, the pro-lobby that has worked behind the scenes has expressed delight. Oddly, the words and concerns of the masses who are about to...

-Live Mint Court says aggrieved party can seek temporary postponement of a matter by moving the appropriate court  Mumbai/New Delhi: The good news for those who deal in news is that the Supreme Court decided against framing guidelines for covering so-called sub judice matters, or those before the courts. The bad news is that by delivering what some analysts are calling an ambiguous judgement, the apex court may have well made it easier...