-The Hindu   “The intent is clear. Keep the people drugged so they do not revolt against poverty” Press Council of India (PCI) Chairman Justice Markandey Katju on Sunday called upon journalists to play a seminal role in promoting scientific and rational ideas in society and raise the intellectual level of the masses by extricating them from the morass of superstition, casteism, bigotry, communalism and feudal tendencies. Delivering the Jhabarmal Sharma memorial lecture here,...

Economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, currently the Lamont University Professor and Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University believes that mere economic growth cannot be equated with the wellness of people. Social indicators are an equally important measure. In Bangalore for the presentation of the Infosys Prize for 2011 ( Sen is the jury chair for social sciences), he spoke to TOI on a variety of topics. Excerpts: Q:...

-The Hoot The brutally fatal silencing of three journalists along with the sharp rise in censorship of content in online media and the increasing cases of defamation marked the deterioration of the climate for free speech across India in 2011. Attacks on journalists continued to be high, with 24 recorded instances even as writers, journalists and lawyers bore the brunt of the intolerance of vigilante groups to dissenting opinion. The Free Speech...

-EPW Graft is a major issue in people’s lives, but it is unlikely to figure in voter choice in the assembly elections. A mini-general election will be upon us in February as fivestates go to the polls. Given the high-pitched outpouringson the Electronic Media around the anti-corruption campaign and the live coverage of the proceedings in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on the Lokpal Bill, we have been led to...

-PTI Ruling out any outside regulation of the media, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said the media in the country can itself take care of the 'ills' like paid news and urged it to reduce sensationalism in coverage. "I am very happy that the media of our country is by and large independent and alive... Ever since we have got independence, discussions have been going on in the country about the role...