The Select Committee on the Prevention of Torture Bill, 2010 has recommended stringent punishment for acts of torture by a public servant, including life imprisonment and death sentence for death caused by torture in custody.The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in May but was referred to a Rajya Sabha Select Committee following concerns over certain inadequacies in the draft legislation.Chairman of the Select Committee Ashwini Kumar told journalists...

The government on Tuesday introduced in the Lok Sabha a bill aimed at preventing sexual harassment of women at workplace in various forms, including implied or overt promise of preferential treatment or threat or interference in her work through intimidation. The Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010, provides for mandatory setting up an internal committee by a company or any other institute to probe a written...

The Ministry received 153 complaints of irregularities in the implementation of MGNREGA up to 2007-08; 645 complaints in 2008-09; 528 complaints in 2009-10 and 272 complaints in 2010-11 so far. With a view to make the scheme more accountable, the following steps have been taken by the Ministry:(i) States have been asked to deploy adequate number of dedicated staff with the implementing authorities. Administrative expenses, out of which salary of such...

There has been no major impact on wheat production of the rising temperature in India, Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas said on 4th December even as experts say global warming threat looms large over farm productivity.There is no major impact observed on wheat production due to rising temperature in the recent past. There has been an increasing trend in wheat production since 2007-08, Thomas said in a written...

There has been no major impact on wheat production of the rising temperature in India, Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas said Friday even as experts say global warming threat looms large over farm productivity. "There is no major impact observed on wheat production due to rising temperature in the recent past. There has been an increasing trend in wheat production since 2007-08," Thomas said in a written reply to...