-The Hindu Some changes were ordered on the direct instructions of the Prime Minister The Prime Minister's office has repeatedly ordered and orchestrated dilution of environment and forest clearances in order to fast-pace industrial projects, documents with The Hindu show. In a series of orders and missives sent to the Union Environment and Forests Ministry over 2012-2013, the PMO instructed that regulations and norms had to be diluted or done away with. These...
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Consumers can ask NGOs to fight cases -Abhinav Garg & Dipak Kumar Dash
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Consumers can soon engage a non-advocate or an NGO to fight their case in consumer forums. However, such agents can't charge arbitrary fees. The charges will be decided by presidents of the relevant forums. The grounds to be considered while deciding fees will include the paying capacity of clients, skill of the agent and complexity of the case. In a recent notification, the consumer affairs ministry...
More »After 2 years and no changes, Whistleblowers Bill cleared
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: At the very fag end of the forgettable existence of the 15th Lok Sabha, Parliament on Friday passed the Whistleblower Protection Bill. The Rajya Sabha cleared this crucial anti-corruption law a good two years after it was passed by the Lok Sabha. The delay was not because the elders brought some new wisdom to the proposed law. In fact, the Bill, seeking to ensure the safety...
More »ILO says poor laws aid the abuse of maids -Neetu Chandra
-DailyMail.Co.Uk Millions of domestic workers in Indian homes are a part of an informal and "invisible" workforce due to absence of a specific legislation meant for their protection, the International Labour Organisation said on Wednesday. The number of maids has gone up by nearly 70 per cent from 2001 to 2010 with an estimated 10 million maids and nannies in India, the ILO says. According to the National Sample Survey (NSS) 2004-05, there...
More »Polls to cost country Rs 3,500 crore this year -B Sivakumar
-The Times of India CHENNAI: The Election Commission has estimated that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections will cost the exchequer Rs 3,500 crore. That's about 150% more than the amount spent for the 2009 polls (Rs 1,400 crore). This does not include the expenses incurred for security and the amount political parties will spend. "Every state will send the expenditure statements to the Centre for reimbursement. The Union law ministry will peruse...
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