The Congress appears to have put the cat among the pigeons by suggesting that the proposed Lokpal Bill — currently before a Standing Committee of Parliament — be given constitutional status to give it more muscle. Taken aback, both the Opposition parties and the Team Anna have objected to the move, saying it is a ploy to delay the passage of the Bill as it would require a Constitutional amendment —...

A fresh public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Supreme Court on Friday challenging the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s civil nuclear power programme. The PIL, filed by lawyer Prashant Bhushan on behalf of many former public officials and eminent citizens, makes several demands of the Supreme Court, but most significantly asks it to cancel “clearances given to proposed nuclear power plants and staying all proposed nuclear power plants” till satisfactory...

Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra demanded on Friday that the Central Information Commission be upgraded to the status of a Constitutional authority along the lines of the Election Commission of India and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. RTI circles interpreted Mr. Mishra's intervention, coming after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's call for a critical look at the Right to Information Act, as an effort to safeguard the Act and the...

The Centre is preparing to water down the Official Secrets Act, 1923, a pre-colonial tool against spying that successive governments are accused of taking cover under when faced with questions of corruption. Amendments are being worked out after several ministries, including that of defence, responded to a note circulated by the home ministry in August, sources said. The Prime Minister today said the RTI Act is being “more extensively and effectively” used...

-The Indian Express   After the Supreme Court lawyer and leading light of Anna Hazare’s agitation, Prashant Bhushan, was attacked in public view by thuggish “patriots” for his support of a plebiscite in Kashmir, one would have expected some solidarity from his teammates. Or at least common human sympathy, expressed even by those who have deep and running disagreements with Bhushan. But Anna Hazare offered lukewarm consolation about how it was “wrong...