A new study questions safety assessments of Bt brinjal, asks for an independent regulator Does it matter if the gene introduced in Bt brinjal varies from the natural brinjal by 70 amino acids rather than by one? What if the regulators in the country fail to detect this and rubber stamp a genetically-engineered vegetable on the basis of the premise submitted by the company that produced it — Mahyco in...

The Supreme Court dismissed the government’s review petition in the Vodafone tax case on Tuesday, affirming its January ruling that put overseas transfers of shares outside the Indian tax net. The review petition and last week’s budget proposals seeking retrospective changes have revived the uncertainty over tax laws, according to government officials, the Planning Commission and businesses. If Parliament passes the budget in its current form, the judgement in the Vodafone case...

-The Economic Times   The Supreme Court has declined to reconsider its ruling that the tax authorities had no jurisdiction to tax Vodafone's offshore acquisition of its Indian mobile unit, handing what could be a pyrrhic victory to the telecom major. The tax demand, government officials familiar with the case said, could be revived once the provisions in the Union Budget seeking to tax overseas deals are approved by Parliament later this...

-The Times of India The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would hear arguments from March 27 on framing of guidelines for media on reporting of judicial proceedings. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia took up the issue on filing of applications for framing of guidelines by senior advocate Fali S Nariman and market regulator Sebi. The proceedings emanated from alleged leakage of advocate's proposal of Sahara...

-The Telegraph The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Nanavati Commission and the Gujarat government directing the panel to summon chief minister Narendra Modi for questioning in connection with the 2002 riots. The order came on a petition filed by Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM), which represents the riot victims. Gujarat High Court had earlier rejected the plea by JSM The JSM then appealed in the apex court following which a bench of...