-The Hindu Interview with social activist Medha Patkar on why she opposes the Land Bill proposed by the Centre Social activist Medha Patkar has been in the forefront of the struggle for the rights and rehabilitation of project-displaced populations for over two decades, and has relentlessly pursued the formulation of a national rehabilitation policy. She spoke to Gargi Parsai at the site of the agitation in Delhi about the pitfalls in the...

-Economic and Political Weekly   Amendments proposed by the previous Congress-led union government to the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act 1996 had the potential of improving upon this progressive legislation. Unfortunately, with its successor pursuing different priorities, the possibility of the amendments being passed remains rather low. Kamal Nayan Choubey (kamalnayanchoubey@gmail.com) is with the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi. A bill for an amendment to the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas)...

-Business Standard Likely to carry out mid-term appraisal; states could continue with annual Plans Contrary to popular belief, the National Democratic Alliance government may not scrap the 12th five-year Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17) formulated by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Instead, it may carry out a course correction, in consultation with ministries and state governments. A model for such a structured rectification would be firmed up at the first governing council meeting...

-HowIndiaLives.com The fall is more perceptible in states ruled by the Congress-led UPA than the ones ruled by BJP-led NDA The government's flagship rural employment guarantee scheme is on the decline. On almost every key metric, the scheme drafted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)-which promises 100 days of employment a year to every rural household that demands it and mandates payments of wages within 15 days-is showing...

-Business Standard Petition claims private parties outsourced to collect citizens' data can misuse massive personal information in their hands The Supreme Court asked the Centre on Monday to state within two weeks its stand on the unique identification (UID) project, Aadhaar. A Bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu was hearing a new public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the project. According to the petition moved by Mathew Thomas, private parties who have...