-Pratirodh Bureau Activists led by Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar have alleged that the much awaited Land Acquisition Bill was actually a "diluted version" of the Standing Committee's recommended bill.   The activists under belonging to various groups, including National Alliance of People’s Movements, National Forum of Forest people and Forest Workers, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti and Sangharsh claimed that the "positive" position taken by the Standing Committee had been diluted by the...

-The Hindu For the fourth time in the past 11 years, India is heading for a ‘meteorological’ drought India is heading for a drought, in meteorological terms, for the fourth time in the past 11 years. The previous droughts during this period were in 2002, 2004 and 2009. A meteorological drought, in the sense that atmospheric scientists typically use the term, occurs when a monsoon ends with nationwide rainfall during the season falling...

-The Times of India In what will set the bar for India's nuclear contracts, Russia's plea that two reactors planned at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu — apart from units 1 and 2 — be exempted from provisions of the tough nuclear liability law may not be accepted.  Reactors 1 and 2 that are to go on stream soon are not covered by the 2010 liability law that makes suppliers of a nuclear...

-The Times of India In a move that has angered the health ministry, the Planning Commission has asked for reversal of the long-standing public health policy from the 12th plan onwards ending governments' dominant role in providing health services and transiting to greater privatization of the health sector, something along the lines of the 'managed care' system which is followed in the US and Mexico. The health ministry has taken a tough...

-The Times of India Months after the Army punished 73 officers for illegal sale of their non-service weapons to arms dealers in Rajasthan's border districts, the Supreme Court was told on Monday that Army units deputed in Jammu and Kashmir were found to be involved in 104 cases of sale purchase of weapons of various types. The Army was forced to take action against its officers after the Supreme Court raised security...