India continues to be one of the most corrupt nations in the world with many of its public institutions given to rampant misdeeds. Corruption is India's bane and threatens to derail its rapidly growing economy. The country ranks a dismal 84th in a list of 180 countries, according to Transparency International's 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index, a measure of domestic and public sector corruption. The corruption watchdog says that many African,...

There is much about Dubai that is artificial and based on illusion: the man-made islands designed to represent a map of the globe; the indoor ski slope in the midst of desert; the incredible hotel with glass walls looking onto a sea aquarium mimicking the surrounding ocean. Dubai had also become synonymous with excess: building the tallest tower in the world and the biggest and most expensive luxury hotels, residences,...

The UPA government has come under severe criticism for trying to hurriedly pass the Land Acquisition (amendment) and the Resettlement & Rehabilitation Bill during the ongoing Parliamentary session. Both the bills have been dubbed as anti-poor as their provisions are seen to promote forced dispossession of farmers’ land as well as large scale displacement of rural people. The haste with which the two Bills are being promoted could be assessed...

About 1.7 crore cases were disposed of in 2008 by 14,000 judges in the country, Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan said on Wednesday. “About 1.8 crore fresh cases had been filed in courts in 2008, … reflecting a steady increase in the rate of institution of fresh proceedings over the years. Against this, approximately 14,000 judges disposed of 1.7 crore cases in 2008, demonstrating a disposal rate of 1,200...

Two elements in statement caused most concern; "It has deviated from the text approved by PMO" The statement issued by Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh at the pre-Conference of the Parties (COP) ministerial meeting of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held at Copenhagen during November 16-17 has caused considerable consternation among some observers of the evolving Indian policy on climate change. The crucial COP-15...