-Outlook Mediapersons, legal experts and civil society have suggested the setting up of a Constitutionally mandated regulator to check "misuse and abuse" of the media in the country. Some discussants also suggested establishing a consultative group for norms, conduct and ethics to monitor implementation by the media and to facilitate greater degree of coordination between government, media business and civil society. They were speaking at a conference on "Media Regulation: Is Status Quo...

The total expenditure on central schemes for the poor and on the major subsidies exceeds the states' share of central taxes. These schemes are chronic bad performers due to a culture of immunity in public administration and weakened local governments. Arguing that the poor should be trusted to use these resources better than the state, a radical redirection with substantial direct transfers to individuals and complementary decentralisation to local governments...

-Outlook The Supreme Court today asked the Centre why MPs and MLAs should be treated as "special class" in having different laws where persons with criminal antecedents are allowed to continue despite their convictions. "Why they be treated as special class? Why should there be different laws for them? Can Parliament make one law for its own members and other law for ordinary citizens?," a bench of justices A K Patnaik and...

-The Indian Express Experts are divided over the stand taken by the State Education department to exempt the unaided minority schools from the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009 while releasing the admission schedule for the academic year 2013-14. While some experts have termed the decision in contrary to the enabling provisions of the Act, others are describing it as in conformity with the Act. In chapter...

-The Hindu CJI questions Trust’s locus standi to file petition The Supreme Court has rejected a plea for revisiting the 1993 nine-judge judgment giving its collegium primacy in appointment of judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts. In April 2010, a two-judge Bench, after hearing Attorney-General G.E. Vahanvati and amicus curiae A.K. Ganguly, posted before a larger Bench the petition filed by Suraz India Trust seeking review of the collegium system. Accordingly, the...