-PTI A blanket ban on manufacture, sale, storage and use of plastic bags with stiff penalty against violators including imprisonment up to five years will come into effect in New Delhi on Friday. The government has now imposed the ban as per provision of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, under which violators could face imprisonment up to five years and fine of up to Rs. 1 lakh or both. "The ban on plastic...

-PTI In an apparent show of unanimity, the report of the select committee on Lokpal Bill, which has recommended delinking creation of Lokayuktas in states from the central bill, is scheduled to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha today by Congress and BJP. According to the revised list of business of Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley will table the report along with Shantaram Naik of Congress who is...

-The Times of India India won't enhance its pledge of reducing emissions intensity of its economy at the Doha round of climate talks, which will be held between November 26 and December 7. The CABinet on Thursday cleared the red-lines for Union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan and her team of negotiators for the UN talks. With the European Union (EU) shifting the goal post yet again for ratifying the Kyoto Protocol's second phase...

-The Hindu By not informing Ajmal Kasab of his right to seek a judicial review of the rejection of his mercy petition, the UPA government has committed a serious wrong The hurried and secretive hanging of Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab is both an administrative wrong and a constitutional impropriety. The Manmohan Singh government and the UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, owe it to the nation and the whole world to explain why their...

-Outlook The government today cleared the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy that will bring 348 essential drugs under price control, leading to reduction in prices. "The National Pharmaceutical Pricing policy has been approved by the CABinet with an objective to put in place a regulatory framework for pricing of drugs to ensure their availability at reasonable prices," an official source said. At present, the government through the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) controls prices...