The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government is considering changes to the Right to Information (RTI) Act to keep the chief justice of the Supreme Court out of its ambit, prompting protests against the move by those who see it as a dilution of the law. “The proposal includes...safeguarding the sensitivity of the office of the Chief Justice of India,” Prithviraj Chavan, outgoing minister of state for personnel, public grievances and pensions,...
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What is wrong with MG-NREGA?
Can we afford to leave MG-NREGA alone? Why is the civil society crying foul? Are the rural activists demanding too much? Is the UPA-II trying to take back what UPA-I gave before the elections? Let us face it, the MG-NREGA is in a big crisis. NAC members like Aruna Roy and Jean Dreze have alleged (See links below) that the present remuneration of rural workers is declining by the day and it...
More »After The Circus by Anuradha Raman
Off With Their Rights... * As many as 3 lakh slum dwellers in Delhi were evicted before the Commonwealth Games * When a family is evicted, each member loses many rights—the rights to livelihood, shelter, health, education etc * Of some 60,000 beggars on Delhi streets, more than 50,000 were removed for the Games *** Forget the razzle-dazzle and the hype over the recently concluded Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Delhi. The human...
More »US prez has given dalits a reason to smile: NCSC chief by Subodh Ghildiyal
Barack Obama's mention of Mahatma Gandhi as the man who made his presidency possible and his invocation of "a dalit", Ambedkar, as the author of the Constitution had the MPs in audience gushing that his words could boost the struggle for social justice like few statements can. PL Punia, chairman of the National Commission for SCs, said that "Obama identified himself with champions of dalit rights" which was unheard of for...
More »RTI law being grossly misused, says former CJI Balakrishnan
Former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan on Friday said the Right To Information (RTI) Act "was grossly misused" and needed amending to prevent the misuse. "It is time for introspection on the five-year-old RTI Act. It is grossly misused. Most of the applicants are applying the RTI not for public good, but for misuse," Balakrishnan said at a seminar on "RTI-Key to good governance", organised by the Institute of Secretariat...
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