-Down to Earth With the state assembly election around the corner, the model code of conduct is the favourite excuse for non implementation of FRA In Uttarakhand—a land mired with reports of forest fires and rampant deforestation despite having 64 per cent forest area—the government is yet to start the implementation of the Forest Rights Act of 2006. According to the latest status report released in December 2016, not a single...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: A nationwide network of farmers today dubbed the demonetisation exercise "the most hurtful scheme since independence" and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pledges for the agriculture sector announced on December 31 were "a rehash of what already exists". The network of farmers' associations and representatives from across the country said in a letter sent to the Prime Minister that the demonetisation move had shown a "dismaying disregard"...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: With frequent cases of sexual and physical abuse of children reported from preschools, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights is ready with guidelines to regulate such private playschools. Once the guidelines are notified by the women and child development ministry, no child below three will be enrolled at a playschool and all such institutions will have to register with the district authorities. Violators will...

-PTI NEW DELHI: Among every 100 corruption cases registered by investigation agencies only about 19 ended in conviction of accused, analysis of data for last 15 years by a voluntary group shows. The findings of the data crunching done by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative from 2001-15 shows Punjab has the best conviction rates with 36.58 per cent of registered cases ending in conviction. The national average of conviction in graft cases which reach...

Although corruption touches every section of the Indian society, there are very few complaints made against bribery or corrupt people. How can one explain this contradiction? Is it the case that the laws relating to corruption are so weak and toothless in our country that people seldom rely on them to get justice? Recent research based on data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) confirms the above-mentioned fact. Please click...