-The Telegraph The four Left parties today iterated the need for a debate and vote in Parliament on FDI in multi-brand retail, but suggested they might not press beyond a point if the government refused a vote, stressing that Parliament needs to function. “A decision of this nature is the right of the executive. But any major decision affecting a vast number of people must reflect the opinion of Parliament. If not,...

-Outlook A Delhi-based RTI activist today threatened to initiate legal proceedings against Arvind Kejriwal and his associates alleging that one of the NGOs run by them collected funds but did not account them, a charge denied by India Against Corruption. Pranav Arora alleged that Kejriwal was associated with the NGO Kabir, run by India Against Corruption leader Manish Sisodia, and it had got funds from Ford Foundation which they did not show...

-The Times of India The environment ministry has failed in its attempt to keep forest clearances outside the purview of the national green tribunal (NGT) though it might have succeeded in delaying the process. The environment ministry had contended that clearances granted under the Forest Rights Act, 1980 could not be questioned by the tribunal, which was created, ironically, by the environment ministry to provide fast remedy to those aggrieved by infringement...

-IPS News Calls are mounting for the world’s big fishing powers to stop subsidising international fleets that use destructive methods like bottom trawling in foreign coastal waters, drastically reducing the catch of local artisanal fishers who use nets and fishing lines. Such subsidies total 27 billion dollars a year, with nearly two-thirds coming from China, Taiwan and Korea along with Europe, Japan and the United States, according to a University of British...

-The Telegraph Private universities have mushroomed across India, growing from just 10 six years ago to 145 today in a demand-driven surge that has drawn allegations of irregularities, including franchising out courses in violation of rules. Several academics have also questioned the standard of education in most of these varsities, set up by state legislatures through enactment of laws. “Private universities are created by state legislatures so the Government of India has no...