The dominant approaches to development have failed the world’s poorest citizens and now the paradigm must change. This is the strong message coming from over 2,000 non-governmental organisations gathered at the Civil Society forum for the Fourth U.N. Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV) in Istanbul, Turkey. Arjun Karki, spokesperson for the forum, told the gathering that the failure to see more LDC countries graduate from this most vulnerable classification...

The Lokpal Act finally seems set to turn into reality. With Civil Society members and citizens turning the heat on the government over the setting up of the anti-corruption body, the Lokpal bill occupies centrestage in Delhi's politics. The joint panel, comprising Civil Society members and Union ministers, has been meeting in New Delhi to hammer out the draft of the anti-corruption bill. Let's take a look at the highlights...

As the joint drafting committee begins work on the Lokpal Bill, its Civil Society members face challenges from various quarters. AS the leader of the five-member Civil Society group within the 10-member joint drafting committee to prepare the new Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare finds himself in an unenviable position. After his successful agitation for equal participation for Civil Society in the legislative exercise to create the first Lokpal at the Centre,...

The joint drafting committee on the Lokpal bill made some headway on Saturday on contentious procedures for sanction for prosecution of public servants. A broad consensus emerged over the need to review existing laws that have been criticized for shielding corrupt officials. Civil Society sources on the panel said the proposed Lokpal may not require permission for prosecution while investigating offenses with amendments being considered to section 19 of the prevention...

Sanction by higher authority for probe to be waived The Lokpal Bill joint drafting committee on Saturday moved towards formulation of a draft with Civil Society members and government representatives agreeing to set up an independent authority that will be endowed with financial and administrative autonomy. Although the sticky issue of including the Prime Minister and the higher judiciary within the ambit of the Bill was set aside for “further discussion,'' the...