Concerned over the intense lobbying for the post of Chief Information Officer (CIC), Right to Information (RTI) activists have sought the intervention of the Prime Minister in making the appoinment process a transparent exercise that is also inclusive and participatory. In this regard, RTI activists from across the country, including convenors of State RTI fora, on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok...

The government is reportedly toying with the idea of restricting the mandate of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to sectors where it would not come in conflict with an existing sectoral regulator. That is a ridiculous idea, and the government should not waste time on it. The proposal has been floated by some powerful people, including those in sectoral regulators, and are keen to protect their fief and perhaps...

After strong protest from civil society organisations, the government has admitted that it is considering amending the Right to Information (RTI) Act. It has, however, assured activists that a transparent and consultative process will be adopted before any action is taken, and the amendments will not be persevered with if activist groups are able to convince the government that they are either unnecessary or counterproductive. These assurances notwithstanding, it is...

With inter-state relations getting increasingly focused on integration, the impetus for summits and meetings has been on the increase. However, there is also the resounding feeling that these are becoming more rhetorical than real. Almost every month we hear of a summit or a meeting of states, but the actual progress towards resolution of issues and problems in inter-state relations has been less effective and focused. This was clearly evident...

Civil society” is a very loaded term. First of all, it implies that all those that are not part of it, are somehow uncivil, or possibly not part of society. Secondly, the use of the term implies that those covered by the term — and, truthfully, usually using it about themselves — have some particular worthiness that makes them able to more efficiently determine society’s direction than other members of...