-The Hindu ‘Whole country was listening when they united for a common cause recently’ Mysuru: Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav has said that farmers issues and agrarian crisis have entered centre stage of Indian politics for the first time in more than 30 years and is likely to be the dominant factor during the 2019 parliamentary elections. “We had parliamentary elections fought on Emergency, Bofors, Mandal, Mandir, 2G and so on, but there...

-The Hindu The former Chief Election Commissioner on the EVM controversy, why the Supreme Court’s verdict on criminals in politics is a missed opportunity, and electoral bonds The debate on the reliability of electronic voting machines (EVMs) refuses to settle, with political parties continuing to voice their concerns about malfunctioning machines. Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi explains how EVMs work, why he is disappointed with the Supreme Court for refusing to...

-The Hindu Charter of demands presented to all parties in Rajasthan for action by next govt. Jaipur: Tribal groups in Rajasthan have demanded that the next elected government in the State reveal the status of each of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with reference to tribal communities and declare their status targets. The activists said that no political party had depicted its commitment to work for sustainable development of tribal people. A manifesto...

-Mongabay.com * Indian government enacted the Forest Rights Act in 2006 to correct the historic injustice done to tribal people and forest dwellers but the implementation of the landmark legislation has been far from satisfactory. * A recent study reveals a large variation in the outcomes of claims submitted under the FRA Act across states. It found that states with more forest cover have higher claim distribution rates, while states with presence...

-The Hindu Business Line People from different spheres and strata of life joined farmers at the Kisan Mukti March in Delhi last month From scientists, artists and doctors to lawyers, retired jawans and students, thousands came together to support a march by farmers in Delhi last month. The November 29-30 Kisan Mukti March to Parliament, organised by The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an alliance of over 200 farmers’ organisations,...