-Hindustan Times As a transporter body has supported the strike on the issue of fuel price hike, E-way bill rules, 40 lakh trucks will remain off the road on Friday. Traders' body The Confederation of All India Traders have called for a Bharat Bandh on Friday protesting against the rising fuel prices, Goods and Services Tax, E-Bill etc. All India Transporters Welfare Association (AITWA) has extended support to the call for Bharat...

-The Indian Express New Delhi: On Tuesday, the government of the United States named Anjali Bhardwaj among 12 individuals from across the world as the recipients of the newly-instituted Anti-Corruption Champions Award. “When we don’t get ration, what do we do with information?” Sometime in 2005, right after the implementation of the Right to Information Act, activist Anjali Bhardwaj was holding an awareness camp at a Delhi slum when a woman threw this...

-The Hindu The restrictions would have made it impossible for many scientists to participate in online conferences. After a backlash from scientists, the government has withdrawn a controversial order that required scientists and researchers, among others, participating in online, international scientific seminars and conferences, to get prior clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). “In view of the easing of restrictions on travel and assembly of people guidelines issued regarding political clearance...

-The Hindu Court, in Jan. 2020, asked Centre to file reply to plea, which contended that RTI Amendment Act of 2019 and its Rules cripple CIC’s objectivity, independence. The Supreme Court on Monday criticised the Union government for having not filed a reply for over a year to a petition by parliamentarian Jairam Ramesh challenging the amendments made to the Right to Information Act. The court, in January 2020, asked the Centre to...

-The Indian Express A recent order, issued on January 15 asks all government entities, including publicly funded educational institutions and universities, to “seek approval” of the respective “administrative Secretary” for organizing any “online/virtual international conferences/ seminars/ training etc”. India’s two largest and oldest science academies have written to the Ministry of Education — and the third is considering joining in — to say that its recent order mandating institutions to seek Government...