“All members will continue on panel” Civil society members on the Lokpal Bill drafting committee on Saturday decided to stay together despite the smear campaign against some members, with Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde declaring that “all members will continue to work in panel until the proceedings are over.” A two-hour meeting of the activists, chaired by Anna Hazar here, also decided to write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chief Justice...

Amid the billowing controversies surrounding the Lokpal Bill drafting committee, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh Saturday backed a demand for a Dalit representative on the panel while central minister Salman Khurshid ruled out any changes in the committee. Singh backed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's demand for a Dalit representative on the 10-member government-civil society committee, though he has been her bitter critic. "The demand is just," Singh said, adding nothing...

Amid roiling controversy over Lokpal Bill drafting committee members, Union minister Salman Khurshid on Saturday ruled out any changes in the panel and said the government is looking forward to receiving inputs from Justice Santosh Hegde on the bill. "I value his (Hegde) contributions enormously and hold high respect for him. I hope he will be able to be with us. We want his contributions. We (government) are looking forward to...

Anna Hazare's fast puts Jan Lokpal on the nation's agenda, but doubts remain whether it will help root out corruption. A FUTURE historian who browses the archives of Indian newspapers and news websites from April 5 to 10 will be confused over how to characterise the groundswell of public support across the country for the “fast unto death” undertaken at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi, by a social activist not...

A delegation from Kerala demands nationwide ban on pesticide Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday assured an all-party delegation from Kerala, led by its Health and Social Welfare Minister P.K. Sreemathy, that the Centre would await the report of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) before deciding further on the request to ban Endosulfan nationwide. He reminded the delegates that the Kerala government had already banned the pesticide in 2005....