The idea of interlinking rivers is appealing because it is so grand, but this is also the reason it is nothing more than a distraction The Supreme Court recently issued a diktat to the central government about the scheme to interlink rivers. The directions are straightforward. The government shall set up a high-level committee of ministers and other representatives on interlinking of rivers; the committee shall meet “at least once in...

-The United Nations A United Nations-backed campaign will seek to vaccinate more than 111 million children under the age of five against polio in 20 African countries in just four days. “The upcoming campaign in West and Central Africa will aim to cover all children, immunized or not, in order to boost their protection levels and deprive the virus of the fertile seedbed on which it depends for survival,” said the World...

West Bengal is likely to simplify restrictive laws on land ownership, making it easier for industrial estates to sell surplus land. The state’s land ceiling laws cap private ownership of land at 24 acres, and there were restrictions on transfer of land held under exemption from the threshold. The new policy, which is expected to be ratified by the state cabinet on Friday, would allow companies to transfer even leasehold land given...

-PTI Government today told Parliament that prosecution agencies will have to obtain authorisation from it before attachment of properties of corrupt retired public servants. "An official memorandum dated May 13, 2009 was issued laying down procedure for obtaining authorisation of the central government under section 3 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 1944 for attachment of the money or property procured by corrupt means. "Further, clarifications were issued vide office memorandum dated January...

It is common for Government Agencies to come up with reasons for not supplying information sought under the Right to Information Act (RTI). Now, the state civil supplies department has come up with a googly. Responding to a RTI query, it told the applicant, "pay us money so that we can hire people to find out the information you seek."  The applicant, M Thirumani of Padikuppam Road in Anna Nagar, filed...