The steadily rising rate of economic growth in India has recently been around 8 percent per year (it is expected to be 9 percent this year), and there is much speculation about whether and when India may catch up with and surpass China’s over 10 percent growth rate. Despite the evident excitement that this subject seems to cause in India and abroad, it is surely rather silly to be obsessed...

-The Telegraph   India’s gains in literacy and prosperity are, contrary to expectations, driving an increase in the number of female foeticide cases with selective abortion after a first child highest in wealthy, educated households, says a study released today. The study by a team of Indian and Canadian researchers has shown a steep decline in the ratio of girls to boys in India when the first-born child is a girl. And...

The Right to Information Act (RTI Act), barring certain exceptions, can be used to get information about decisions taken by Public authorities, details of public expenditure, status of projects and many other administrative issues. RTI is also used as an effective tool to prevent corruption, and hence, it is essential that citizens use this Act regularly to keep a check on Public authorities. In order to get accurate responses, citizens are...

In its fourth meeting here, the joint draft panel on Lokpal Bill converged on half of the 40 points listed in the basic principles tabled by the civil society members, but postponed decision on contentious issues including bringing the Prime Minister and higher judiciary under the purview of the Lokpal/lokayukta.. Based on public consultations and hearings, the civil society members gave to the government, another list of “extra 31 basic principles”...

Sharp differences between Government representatives and civil society members in the Lokpal drafting committee came to the fore over basic issues such as the structural set-up of Lokpal, maximum punishment for corruption and graded punishment for culprits, during the fourth meeting of the panel here on Monday. However, Union Minister and panel member Kapil Sibal said that there was consensus on "almost half of the" 40 points brought to the table...