Strengthening the arms of the Right to Information Act in a manner that thwarts the government’s procedural antics to stall information regarding corruption and human rights violations by investigation agencies under the garb of confidentiality, the Supreme Court has ruled that a notification issued by a state for that purpose in mind can’t be made effective from retrospective date. In a significant judgment on Monday, the apex court held that the...

-The Telegraph   New laws are often brought in without assessing their judicial and financial impact. The result is poor implementation, says Seetha Call it collateral damage. According to newspaper reports, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has written to the Prime Minister asking for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) to be put on hold during the peak season of agricultural operations. With a guaranteed income of Rs 100 a day for at...

"Even after 64 years of freedom, voters haven't really known what democracy is all about. Their vote is nothing but an illusion," said RTI activist Bharatsinh Jhala, who flagged off a state-wide campaign 'Jago Yatra' for voters in the state. On Monday morning, Jhala accompanied by a few other activists, kicked off the mission to awaken voters of Gujarat. He said, "Today, voters don't have faith trust in any political party...

-The Hindu   Calcutta University has decided to make available answer scripts to students under the Right to Information Act, university officials said on Monday. “We have decided to give photo copies of answer scripts to students under the Act. Each student will have to pay Rs. 500 for getting his duplicate copy of answer scripts…,” Controller of Examinations Onkar Sadhan Adhikari said. The decision of the university, which had earlier declined requests...

-Express News Service The Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) on Sunday arrested Mushir Ismail Qureshi, the main conspirator in the murder case of RTI activist and 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case witness Nadeem Saiyed. Qureshi was arrested near the Ahmedabad international airport in the early hours of the day following a tip-off. “Qureshi, a builder by profession and a key conspirator in Sayed’s murder, was arrested after he landed at the...