Unfazed by opposition attacks and questions from the Supreme Court, government on Tuesday maintained that it cannot disclose information received from foreign entities on black money held by Indians abroad because of absence of legal framework. Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, however, dismissed opposition criticism that it was not disclosing information because such disclosure could result in the government's fall. "Let us understand the issue. No information can be made available unless there...

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre on a public interest litigation seeking disclosure of all taped telephonic conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia . A bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and SS Nijjar on Monday sought a response from the government on why the tapes containing conversations between Radia and various politicians, businessmen and journalists should not be made public. It posted the matter for further...

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Central government on a PIL seeking disclosure of contents of all tapes of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia which were tapped by government agencies, except pure private conversations. A bench of justices G S Singhvi and S S Nijjar issued notice to the Centre and adjourned the matter for further hearing on February 2. The court passed the order on a petition filed...

Even though the Central Government agreed to link the wages paid under MG-NREGA to the Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourers (CPIAL), it shied away from paying statutory minimum wages in various states of India. Their logic for this: Lack of clarity on who will bear the extra financial burden—the Centre or the states? A letter from the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to UPA and NAC Chairperson Sonia Gandhi dated 31...

A generally beleaguered microfinance industry was eagerly waiting for Yezdi Malegam for deliverance. Any conversation about the microfinance business would end with the expectation that the Malegam committee would deliver a healthy dose of oxygen to the choking microfinance industry. The report was expected to be the panacea for all that ails microfinance in India. The report, which came out on Monday, disappoints not only in its inability to meet these...