-The Hindu Observing that Shree Maheshwar Hydel Power Corporation Ltd. (SMHPCL), the private promoters of the Maheshwar dam project, had failed to begin commercial operation and had no funds to complete the project and rehabilitate the displaced, the Madhya Pradesh Government has threatened to terminate the project’s power purchase agreement. A notice of default, a copy of which is with The Hindu , was issued by the MP Power Management Company Ltd...

-The Times of India Faced with all-around political opposition, the cabinet on Monday retained 18 as age of consent for consensual sex, graded punishment for stalking and voyeurism and deleted "persistent watching" as an offence while clearing a new law to protect women. The changes were agreed to after a meeting on Monday where political leaders raised concerns ranging from genuine apprehensions to frivolous over the possibility of "misuse" of tough laws...

-The Hindustan Times The Gandhian crusader, Anna Hazare on Sunday claimed that he has sufficient proof of alleged corruption and irregularities committed in the “farmers’ loan waiver scheme” of the Centre, which was brought to LIGht by the CAG report recently. Hazare, who was in Nagpur on a two-day tour in eastern Vidarbha said, “If the government is interested in going through the proofs, I am willing to hand over to them.” The...

-Down to Earth State plans to bring down its minimum wage rate to that under MGNREGA TO reduce the burden of the state exchequer by Rs 600 crore, Bihar has decided to reduce its minimum wage rate offered to unskilled labourers, and make it on a par with the rate offered under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). This is despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, in many cases, that...

-The Times of India BHOPAL: It may not be a sexist remark, but exchanges between lawmakers during the Zero Hour in the Madhya Pradesh assembly on Friday did indicate that some of them appreciate women behind "ghunghat". The reference to "ghunghat" (veil) came during a calling attention motion when BJP MLA from Amarwada constituency in Chhindwara district, Prem Narayan Thakur, demanded regularisation of observers working for the different education schemes. Thakur was previously...