-The Times of India MUMBAI: At a time when many of India's infrastructural projects are caught in the throes of an environment versus development conundrum, a new report released by the World Bank estimates that environmental degradation is costing India around 5.7% of its GDP every year. The report, "Diagnostic Assessment of Select Environmental Challenges in India" is the bank's first national economic assessment of environment-related degradation in India. It analysed the...

-The Hindu blog   Data from the latest Transparency International report throws up few surprises as far as India is concerned. Virtually no key institution or sector in India is seen as being free from corruption in the latest survey of the international anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International, which, in its report 'Global Corruption Barometer 2013' states that bribe paying levels remain "very high" worldwide. Data from the report offers interesting insights into global corruption...

-The Hindu However well-intentioned the Supreme Court might be in its efforts to cleanse the political system of criminals, its decision to bar any person who is in jail or in police custody from contesting an election to legislative bodies is a case of the remedy being worse than the disease. By extending the curtailment of the right to vote of a person in prison or lawful police custody to...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The days of politicians fighting elections from jail are over. The Supreme Court has ruled that a person, who is in jail or in police custody, cannot contest elections to legislative bodies. The far-reaching order was passed by the apex court along with its landmark verdict that MPs, MLAs and MLCs would be disqualified the day they are convicted. This double whammy against criminals in Indian...

-The Indian Express The Supreme Court has delivered a sterling judgment on convicted legislators. It could have gone further Democracy is a basic feature of our Constitution. The entry of people with colourful criminal antecedents in Parliament or statelegislatures is a menace to our democracy. The figures for criminals in Parliament and state legislatures are staggering. They touch 30 per cent of the members in the Lok Sabha and 31 per cent...