-Outlook The Supreme Court has said its Constitution bench's landmark judgement of 1980 on criterion for imposing death penalty needs a "fresh look" as there has been "no uniformity" in following its principles on what constitutes "the rarest of rare" cases. "This court has not endorsed the approach of aggravating and mitigating circumstances in Bachan Singh (case). However, this approach has been adopted in several decisions. This needs a fresh look. In...

-The Hindu The wretched outcome of the 2G spectrum auctions, netting just Rs.9,407.64 crore against a Rs.40,000 crore revenue target, has evoked predictable reactions from the Congress party. Its leaders have indirectly mocked the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Supreme Court and the media for tying the government’s hands — instead of expressing concern about the impact of the failed auctions on investor confidence and India’s worrying fiscal deficit. Their gloating...

-The Times of India The cost of air-conditioners and refrigerators could go up considerably starting next summer if the US and other rich countries force a decision at the UN climate talks in November at Doha, to order a global ban on existing refrigerant gases and replace them with costly though relatively more climate-friendly alternatives. One of the alternatives being proposed is produced jointly by DuPont and Honeywell, two US-based multinationals, and...

-The Economic Times The labour ministry has moved a Cabinet note saying the government should raise the monthly pension for organised-sector workers to Rs 1,000 and fund the differential, despite the proposal cutting no ice with finance ministry. The Cabinet note, moved by Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, has put out three options, but his ministry is keen that the burden of providing the extra pension does not fall on employees. "We have proposed...

-The Times of India The UPA was caught in a fresh controversy over the comptroller & auditor general (CAG) after V Narayanasamy, minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office, was quoted as saying that the government was "actively considering" converting the federal auditor's office into a multi-member body. "It (VK Shunglu panel's suggestion to make changes in CAG) is under active consideration. The government is actively considering it," news agency PTI...