The Union minister for communications and information technology, Kapil Sibal, is a knowledgeable lawyer, and someone who is reportedly committed to the freedom of speech. He would not lightly propose regulations that contravene Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression) of our Constitution. So how is one to explain his recent proposals on controlling online speech? Or even the immoderate IT Rules that have been in force since April? This controversy...

-The Economic Times   Information technology minister Kapil Sibal's demand that Facebook and Google screen user-generated content manually before they put it up is impractical and, therefore, unacceptable. But this does not mean that everything he has said should be rejected alongside.  Nor is there any merit in the outcries of outrage over imperilled freedom of expression. Free speech is not unbridled, anywhere. Even the internet companies in question accept this. They say...

-The Times of India   Apart from Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa was the only other state or union territory not to provide information to the Union government on the status of implementation of the facilities required under the Right to Education Act in March this year. The Union human resource development ministry sought information from all 35 states and union territories in March on the measures implemented and facilities put in place...

The Goa government has moved the Supreme Court challenging an order of Bombay High Court's Goa bench bringing governor's report to the Centre about the political situation in a state under the ambit of Right To Information Act, a decision that created major legal discomfort in the corridors of power. The appeal by Goa government, which has also sought a stay on the November 14 HC verdict, is listed for mentioning...

After the recent murder of Nadeem Saiyed, an RTI (right-to-information) activist and key witness in a major communal riot case in the city, one more whistle-blower has been attacked in a village near here. Poonam Solanki,  who is also a leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in neighbouring Daskroi taluka, was assaulted by supporters of Popat Solanki, ‘sarpach’ of Bakrol village and chairman of a local co-operative organisation on...