-The Telegraph The Lokpal bill faces further delay with the Rajya Sabha today referring it to a 15-member select committee by voice vote, but not before the Opposition accused the government of playing “games” and trying to bypass House business rules. The select committee, to be made up by members from various parties, is to hand in its report by the last week of the monsoon session. The BJP, CPM and the Bahujan...

-The Hindustan Times Following a day-long drama, the government and the opposition parties finally decided on Monday to refer the lokpal and lokayuktas bill to a fresh House panel for further scrutiny, virtually bringing Anna Hazare and his team back to life. Within moments of the Rajya Sabha passing a government resolution to set up a 15-member select committee to examine the bill, Team Anna announced that Arvind Kejriwal would lead...

Muslim women may finally get their due share in family inheritance. The long standing demand of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board for a suitable Amendment in the UP Zamindari Abolition and Land Reform Act 1950 to bring it at par with the Shariat is likely to get an official nod soon. After AIMPLB reasserted its stance last month, the state government is considering the option to push through...

-The Economic Times Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has backed state intervention in acquiring land for public-private partnership (PPP) projects, going against the recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee that scrutinized the bill. "The government must have a role in land acquisition," Ramesh told a news conference. "We must recognize that we are not at a stage of development where government's role can be 'eliminated." The minister said he did not support the...

Bowing to pressure from women's activists, the government has made some crucial Amendments to divorce laws, giving women half a share in the husband's residential property irrespective of whether it was acquired before or during the marriage. The Amendment was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Thursday. The wife's share in other assets owned by her husband - movable and immoveable property - has been left to the discretion of the...