‘For the Indian media, the key question is one of covering mass deprivation' Time to rediscover concept of freedom of press in Marxist terms: Sashi Kumar N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, has called for “bold and radical” ways to check the ethical failings of the media. Inaugurating a seminar ‘Whither Media,' organised as part of the three-day Third International Congress on Kerala Studies, which concluded here on Monday, Mr. Ram said that...

At a time when ordinary money suits and cheque bounce cases are taking years for settlement, lok adalats in Tamil Nadu have set a new record this year by quietly disposing of more than 33,000 cases involving Rs 247 crore upto October 2010. The Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority (TNSLSA), headed by its executive chairman justice Elipe Dharma Rao, conducted a total of 4,579 lok adalats and heard more than...

Between the technical rigour and finality of CAG audit and people's airing of grievances, a new audit system that subscribes to, and strengthens, open government may be waiting to be born. The new system is envisaged as one where the CAG’s formal audit includes the relatively new concept of community-led social audit . The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) presents an opportunity to do this. Traditionally, auditing is a...

I am very upset about the court decision in Chhattisgarh about Binayak Sen. It is a huge perversion of our system of justice, and particularly of the laws concerning sedition. It’s not at all clear, to start with, that the thing he has been exactly accused of — of passing letters — has been really proved beyond doubt. Secondly, even if this were correct, that doesn’t amount to sedition. He hasn’t...

A number of welfare schemes for women launched, says Minister The Laadli girl child welfare scheme has proved to be a big success with 140,006 girls being registered under it in 2009-10 and as many as 17,085 girls receiving the final maturity payment through their bank accounts, Delhi Social Welfare Minister Kiran Walia said here on Tuesday. Speaking about the performance of various social welfare schemes during the year, Prof. Walia said...