-The Hindu The government's reasoning that the land ordinance was meant to extend the benefit of the new law to various types of land acquisitions left uncovered so far is disingenuous Democracy is an exercise in public reason. Democratically elected governments cannot simply throw around the weight of their majority. They have a responsibility to offer good reasons for their decisions. And they must do so publicly. That is why we follow...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday accused the Modi government of surreptitiously restoring a century-old British law on land acquisition even as the party brainstormed on "weakening" of UPA's "aam aadmi" policies, firmly adopting a left-of-centre approach to take on BJP. Congress appears set to launch an agitation against the NDA government's policies of coal mine auctions, liberalized land acquisition, Forest Rights Act and a restructured...

-The Hindu Court rejects argument that disclosing names will violate right to privacy The Supreme Court made it clear to the Centre on Tuesday that it could not take shelter under the confidentiality clause for not disclosing all names of black-money account holders it had received from abroad. At the outset, Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi told the court, "We (government) are not interested in hiding any information from the court. This government constituted the...

-The Week Manorama Online Broken hearts float down the Bhakra Main Line canal. Broken by the endless struggle with the land, with the weather, with the creditor. Broken by broken promises, broken by the honour they lost, broken enough to kill themselves. And, at the sluice gate at Khanauri village they slow down, looking up with unseeing eyes. And, from the bridge across the canal, the beating hearts they broke look...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today accused the developed nations of a "disinformation campaign" to "isolate" India for refusing to toe their line at the World Trade Organisation, painting his government before a domestic political audience as a champion of the poor. Addressing a party meeting weeks before his US trip next month, Modi pitched the recent controversy at the global trade body as a battle between the haves...