-Outlook The state elections rolled out smoothly, but it's money power which ruled on the ground As we celebrate the smooth working of a massive electoral exercise-simplistically dubbed by many as the semi-final to the greatest show on earth, General Elections 2014-a realisation has dawned that the role of ‘money power' is reaching alarming proportions. Sure, elections are more fool-proof today than in the past, and most (rightly) salute the EC...

-Outlook Rights group People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) today asked West Bengal Human Rights Commission chairperson Justice (retd) A K Ganguly to step down from his post after being indicted by an apex court panel for "unwelcome behaviour" and "conduct of sexual nature" towards a law intern. It said WBHRC chairperson should "gracefully tender his resignation" from his post to uphold the dignity of the high office and also to uphold...

-The Times of India   BALI: After four days of intense negotiations, World Trade Organization members are set to accept the government's demand on food security that will protect India and other developing countries from penalties for breaching the domestic support cap of 10% of value of production. In return, the government agreed to a new agreement on trade facilitation, the first since WTO was set up nearly two decades ago, that...

-The Hindu Article 370 was and is about providing space, in matters of governance, to the people of a State who felt deeply vulnerable about their identity and insecure about the future. At the Bharatiya Janata Party's recent Lalkar rally in Jammu, its prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, called for a debate on Article 370. This is encouraging and suggests that the BJP may be willing to review its absolutist stance on...

-The Hindu There has been a systemic breakdown in the justice delivery system The critics of the Aarushi murder case seem unable to see the wood for the trees. The focus of endless debate on the case has been on an inadequate appreciation of evidence and the role of the media in cases of this nature. The main issue appears to have been missed - the fact that the overcooked scrutiny is...