-The Telegraph Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may call a meeting of floor leaders of all parties in the Rajya Sabha on Friday to discuss Amendments to the Lokpal bill that could not be passed after the midnight drama on the last day of the extended winter session. Sources said the government would not insist on the inclusion of a Lokayukta clause in the bill. The clause had become the main bone of...

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...

Madrasa managements across the country are keenly watching the budget session of Parliament. No, they are not looking forward to the kind of budget that will be presented by the Finance Minister. Their anxiety is to see the promised relief coming in the Right to Education (RTE) Act for minority institutions. The government has promised to bring Amendments to certain sections of the Act seen as having a ‘negative impact'...

-The Times of India The Supreme Court on Tuesday criticized the Centre's "casual approach" during the hearing on appeals challenging a Delhi High Court verdict diluting Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code to decriminalize consensual gay sex between consenting adults in private. The ministries of home affairs and health had opposed dilution of Section 377 before the HC but accepted the verdict and did not appeal against it in the apex...

-PTI   Within hours of Supreme Court dismissing the review petition in the Vodafone's tax case, government on Tuesday refunded about Rs 2,500 crore plus four percent interest to the firm. When asked, a Vodafone spokesman said "the money has been refunded--Rs 2500 crore plus four per cent interest". Earlier, Law Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters that the government would have to repay the money. "To curative petition to my knowledge ... I suppose...