-The Hindu A recent proposal to curtail the powers of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India runs contrary to national and international conventions. Rather, it is the duty of both the executive and the legislature to strengthen this constitutional office A conference of the chairpersons of Public Accounts Committees (PACs) has just been held under the aegis of the Parliament’s PAC. Nishikant Dubey, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), member PAC, and...

-Hindustan Times Patna: Guns and goons have played a key role in Bihar’s politics for decades. As the eastern state heads to the polls next month, outlaws with itchy trigger fingers as well as ‘baahubalis’, or strongmen, are back in the frame. Dozens of erstwhile gangsters have found their way into mainstream politics either directly or through spouses and relatives. Some of them will not contest the polls, but their influence can...

-The Hindu Our work involves a lot of travel, including for various committees in Delhi’ India paid Rs.176 crore to its 543 Lok Sabha members in salaries and expenses over the last year, or just over Rs. 2.7 lakh a month per Member of Parliament (MP), new official data show. MPs are entitled to Rs.50,000 per month as salary, Rs.45,000 as constituency allowance, Rs.15,000 as office expenses and Rs.30,000 for secretarial assistance. When...

-Outlook Mumbai/ Guwahati: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a vigorous push for a digitally connected India, former CIC Shailesh Gandhi today said it was the issue of transparency over which he ought to do something first in a time-bound manner to help realise his dream. Gandhi also termed "Digital India" campaign, a pet project of the Modi Government, as "expensive" and "with no real benefits", as he stressed that only with...

-The Indian Express Various Dalit rights groups have gathered in New York over the weekend to demand that the lapse be addressed by at least ensuring that the caste is recognised in the list of “indicators”, which will be used to monitor the implementation of the SDGs. New York: While inclusive development is one of the principles written into the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the member nations at the...