-The Times of India CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government is busy digging out old files to line up chargesheets against whistleblower IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who earned the government's wrath after he cancelled the mutation of a land deal between Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra and realty giant DLF last year. Days after Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda approved two chargesheets against Khemka, the government has decided to seek his...

-The Hindu     Realising that New Delhi needs to clear its food security legislation at the WTO in time for the election, the West has sought increased market access in return for temporary relief A few months ago, the most optimistic observers of international politics were not willing to hedge their bets on the Doha Development Round at the World Trade Organisation. The Doha Round negotiations have been stalled for more than a...

-PTI The Centre on Tuesday made a strong plea before the Supreme Court for passing an appropriate order to ban all kinds of gutka in the country saying they are addictive and harmful even if they don't contain tobacco. Appearing before a bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi, Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising made a forceful submission against manufacturing and selling of gutka products. Senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam, who is assisting the...

-Down to Earth   14.5 per cent decline in employment under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, says country's chief auditor The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India recently released a report on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), highlighting the irregularities committed by the Uttar Pradesh government in implementing the scheme. CAG has pointed out that non-adherence to rules and Regulations and inefficient financial management and monitoring of the...

-The Hindu The area will turn into a ‘no-go zone' for mining and thermal power plants The Environment Ministry has decided to turn approximately 60,000 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six States into an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), banning mining, quarrying, thermal power plants and polluting industries over the entire range. All other projects would be allowed only with the prior consent of gram sabhas (village councils) in the zone. The...