Words of wisdom from Swaminathan commission have fallen on deaf ears The Supreme Court has pulled up the State governments for their callous approach to acquisition of land from farmers and for issuing Notifications in violation of the procedure under the Land Acquisition Act. Decrying mindless acquisitions, a Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and S.J. Mukhopadhaya said the consequent Notifications were nullified by courts on the ground of violation of the mandatory...

The Manmohan Singh government has decided to create a sub-quota for Muslims within the 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Castes (OBCs) and an announcement is likely before the Uttar Pradesh elections next summer. Sources said inter-ministerial consultations had been completed and the law ministry was finalising the contours of the proposal to be placed before the Union cabinet in the next few weeks. Indications are that a sub-quota of 6...

-The Telegraph   The 2G trial will be held within Tihar jail from Thursday with Delhi High Court ordering the shift of the special court from its existing location in the heart of the capital. The relocation stunned most of the accused, including former telecom minister A. Raja as well as his DMK colleague and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi. Other accused joined the duo in protesting the move. Special judge .P. Saini announced the...

The anti-corruption movement has enabled the Indian middle class to feel smug about itself. Its members have gone through a vast range of emotions during the last two decades, from self-hatred to self-righteousness. Liberalisation of the economy has created for this class an excitement of many kinds. It has meant the freedom to pursue the quest for wealth without guilt and, at the same time, it has meant feeling set...

-EPW   With laws like the AFSPA, when will truth and justice prevail in Jammu and Kashmir? Like all Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) chief ministers after the dreadful years of president’s rule from 1990 to 1996, Omar Abdullah too stands discredited, especially in the wake of the 2010 uprising of the “stone pelters” which was later brutally suppres­sed. A widely held opinion in the Kashmir Valley is that the chief minister, whether of...