-PTI NEW DELHI: Government departments should not insist on seeking address of an RTI applicant if a post box number is being provided to them for communication, the Centre has said. The ministry of personnel has written to all central government ministries or departments, who act as public authorities mandated with providing information on RTI applications made to them, citing a judgement by Calcutta high court in this regard. "When the legislature thought...

-The Telegraph Bhubaneswar: The state government today reacted sharply to the Centre's decision to reject Vedanta's plan to mine bauxite from the Niyamgiri hills in Kalahandi district. Mining of bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills was to be carried out by the state-owned Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and Sterlite Industries Limited, a Vedanta group subsidiary. Steel and mines minister Rajanikant Singh said: "It is really unfortunate. The UPA government is not serious about the...

-The Times of India RAJKOT: Only one farmer committed suicide in Gujarat because of crop failure between 2003 and 2012! This is what the Gujarat government wants people to believe despite the furore over farmer suicides in the state. This came out in the form of a letter from Union agriculture ministry to RTI Activist Bharatsinh Zala on the direction from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Zala had sought Prime Minister Manmohan...

-The Hindu Hyderabad: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has brought in a fresh wave of hope, but it is too early to assess its performance, observed social Activist Aruna Roy. "AAP's unique and new strategies have led to their electoral success but water, power and corruption are not the only issues. They need to lay out a broader framework and take a stand on various other issues, especially in rural parts...

-The Hindu     Educationists emphasise importance of public participation Chennai: The Right to Education (RTE) Act guarantees children a place in school but it requires political will and public participation in running schools and sensitive bureaucrats who understand the needs of children to make it effective, say education Activists. At a discussion organised by The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy here on Wednesday, eminent persons associated with children's education spoke of the...