Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamul Congress today expressed “serious objections” to the proposed bill against communal violence, saying the current draft undermined the country’s federal structure. The BJP said it would intensify its campaign against the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Regulations) Bill, 2011, emboldened by the objections of other non-Congress parties, although none backed its pet “bias against Hindus” line. ( ) Mamata did not attend the National...

A report from a sample survey of the functioning of the public distribution system in 12 villages in two districts in Orissa, a state usually associated with a poor PDS. While there are errors in exclusion and inclusion of households covered, there has been a vast improvement in operation of the PDS; below the poverty line households seem to be receiving their entitlements. The households also express a strong preference...

-The Hindu   The Orissa High Court on Friday refused to pass any interim stay with regard to acquisition of forest land by the State government for Posco project but ordered that the status quo with regard to acquisition of private land for the project shall be maintained. The Division Bench of Chief Justice V Gopala Gowda and Justice B N MoHApatra, which had been hearing at least two PILs with regard to...

Gate erected by caste Hindus to be removed A gate erected on Dalit Street 35 years ago to prevent Dalits from entering the area occupied by upper caste Hindus will be removed. Though it was kept open in the last five years, the 75-odd Dalit families used to avoid the street fearing repercussions. They used to go to MGR daily market via Royakottai main road. The street falls in the Reserved Ward...

Interview with social activist and Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal. THE organisational abilities of Arvind Kejriwal exhibited during the recent Jan Lokpal Bill movement earned him the sobriquet “Field Marshal of a peaceful agitation”. The social activist and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner played a significant role in conceiving the slogans, the symbolism and the trajectory of the movement. He is credited with anticipating some of the moves of the government...