-The Hindu   Cases of crime under various categories in the country increased by about 5 per cent last year as compared to 2009, according to a publication of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Besides, road accidents alone claimed 1.33 lakh lives last year, an increase of 5.5 per cent over 2009 that saw 1.26 lakh deaths. According to “Crime in India 2010,” a total of 22,24,831 crimes were reported under the...

Biraj Patnaik, principal adviser to the Supreme Court commissioners on the right to food, is up in arms against the National Food Security Bill. “Despite multiple meetings and many suggestions put forward, what we have is a mockery of a bill. The government has made a dog’s breakfast out of the right to food bill,” he exclaims. Patnaik’s is not a one-off complaint. Some argue that the country’s law-making process is...

Nearly one-fifth of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in the country -- including police chiefs of Delhi, Bihar, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh - have not declared their annual immovable property returns (IPR) for 2010 despite three deadlines given to them by the home ministry. Their action will now put them in the negative list of vigilance clearance for future postings. After the latest deadline of October 10 went by, the ministry...

-PTI   Under fire for overcharging organisers using inflated bills, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Sunday night said that she has been directed by the trustees of her NGO India Vision Foundation to travel strictly as per the conditions put by the host and not use any discretion. "Foundation trustees have passed resolution directing me to travel strictly as per invite. This leaves NO room for discretion," she wrote on the micro-blogging...

The finance ministry has approved a budget of Rs. 8,814.75 crore for the nodal agency executing the government’s Aadhaar project, under which all residents of India will be provided unique identification (UID) numbers. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will use the money to pay registrars who are enrolling people for Aadhaar, as well as to build the project’s technical systems.   The UIDAI, which pays registrars Rs. 50 per enrolment, is...