Despite its introduction with much fanfare three years ago, Jammu and Kashmir government has abruptly slowed down on the implementation of Right to Information (RTI) Act, which was designed to bring transparency and accountability to public offices. According to the Act enacted in March 2009, it is incumbent upon the state government to launch major awareness campaign for general public through various mediums of communication and languages, especially for disadvantaged communities...

Even as the state government was dealing with the spurt in farmer suicides in Wayanad in 2011, officials informed the central government that no farmer suicides were taking place in Kerala, according to an affidavit filed by the central government in the Kerala High Court on Monday. In a counter-affidavit filed before the high court on a petition seeking relief measures to farmers in Wayanad, the central government quoted the report...

-BBC   Authorities in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh have been criticised for letting off lightly 12 doctors who conducted drug trials on children and patients with learning disabilities. The doctors were fined 5,000 rupees ($94; £60) each for failing to inform the authorities about the tests. Activists and opposition parties said the fine was a "joke" and called for an investigation by the federal police. The trials of the drug to treat sexual...

-The Hindu Amendment to provide for transfer of proceeds of foreign predicate offence The government tabled the Prevention of Money-Laundering (Amendment) Bill, 2011, in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. It seeks to introduce the concept of a ‘corresponding law' to link the provisions of Indian law to those of other countries and to provide for transfer of the proceeds of foreign predicate offence committed in any manner in India. The Bill enlarges the...

The National Human Rights Commission has asked the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe a complaint by Amar Ujala reporter Sammiuddin alias Neelu that he was falsely implicated by the Lakhimpur Kheri district police in Uttar Pradesh in a criminal case under the Wildlife Act. The police were threatening that he would be bumped off in an encounter, the complainant alleged. The CBI should also probe the...