-The Indian Express Mumbai: In a move that has Right To Information activists up in arms, the administration of Governor-ruled Maharashtra has issued a directive to all departments and offices, asking them not to provide any information under the RTI Act if it "does not constitute any Public Interest". While government officials say the objective of the directive is to merely restrict those misusing RTI, activists describe it as a move to...

-The New Indian Express PALAKKAD: With only ten days remaining for the announced date for implementing the UPA government's ambitious social welfare programme, the National Food Security Act (NFSA) on November 1, the state government is still not sure about its implementation. At a time when district supply officers are busy sealing NFSA on BPL, Anthyodaya and other special cards to distinguish cards eligible for rice under NFSA, they are kept in...

-Tehelka The new and improved Bill to prevent atrocities against Dalits runs the risk of being put in the cold storage A crime against Dalits happens every 18 minutes - three women raped every day, 13 murdered every week, 27 atrocities every day, six kidnapped every week and so on. This is the data compiled by the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, an NGO, which paints a grim picture of Indian...

-The Hindu In many cases, forest clearance was not obtained, says committee The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has found large-scale illegal mining of iron and manganese ore in the forest lands of Odisha. In its report submitted to the apex court in a Public Interest writ petition seeking a ban on illegal mining in Odisha, the CEC, quoting the figures of the Odisha government, said, "As per the details given by...

-Economic and Political Weekly   The decision to reduce the powers of the drug pricing body goes against the interest of public health. The decision of the Government of India to withdraw the power of the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to set price controls on drugs that are not on the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) raises questions on the Narendra Modi regime's commitment to people's welfare. One must ask if...