-The Hindustan Times Shimla (Himachal Pradesh): At a time when Right to Information Act has become an important tool to seek information, government departments have failed to implement section 4 of act that was aimed at providing suo moto information on websites. Section 4 of the RTI Act was a commitment to ensure that information is put before the public at regular intervals through various means of communications, including internet, so that...

-The Business Standard The only way to fix food inflation Both the inflation figures for November and current market reports indicate that the contours of food inflation have changed tangibly of late. While the prices of pulses, edible oils and sugar have tended to either moderate or decline, those of staple cereals, notably rice and wheat, and of perishable items, chiefly vegetables and fruits, continue to propel food inflation higher. The blame...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has slammed states and Union territories for adopting an "utterly callous attitude" in enforcing path-breaking laws enacted by Parliament to protect children from sexual exploitation and to ensure them their rights including right to education. The court had on January 3 issued a series of directions asking states and UTs to implement three laws: Protection of Rights of Children from Sexual Offences Act,...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Parliament on Wednesday passed the crucial Lokpal Bill with the Lok Sabha adopting the measure as amended by the Rajya Sabha after a short discussion. Following are the salient features of the amended Lokpal Bill. 1. Lokayuktas: The new bill mandates states to set up Lokayuktas within 365 days. States have the freedom to determine the nature and type of Lokayukta. The old bill said the law...

-NDTV A Parliamentary standing committee has agreed with the government that political parties do not come under the Right to Information or RTI Act. The landmark transparency law, passed by the UPA I government in 2005, is often flaunted by Congress Number 2 Rahul Gandhi as a precursor to the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill, currently being pushed by the government in Parliament. All political parties barring Odisha-based Biju Janata Dal and the Communist Party...