Today, the Indian media—both print and television—is focusing on the recent corruption scandals involving the UPA Government with unusual zeal. However, I fail to understand why almost every commentator, every TV anchor, every editorial writer feels compelled to pay ritual obeisance to the “personal honesty and integrity” of Dr Manmohan Singh while dealing with the scandals emanating from his cabinet colleagues. They do so even when there is clear evidence...

Union minister of state for Agriculture, K V Thomas, today said Kerala, which had not fully utilised the allocation of Rs 700 crore under the Vidharba package, should utilise the remaning nearly rs 400 crore for Organic cultivation.About rs 400 crore was yet to be utilised and this could be made use for propagating organic cultivation in the the state, thomas said at the sidelines of a function here.The miniser...

Over 50 per cent quota for women challengedThe Gulbarga Circuit Bench of the Karnataka High Court has stayed elections to the Gulbarga Zilla Panchayat till further hearing on a petition filed by three persons from Aland taluk challenging the reservation of seats for women exceeding 50 per cent of the total number of seats.The reservation of seats announced for the Jidga and Chinchansur zilla panchayat constituencies has also been challenged.Interim...

After widespread dissatisfaction about the lack of transparency and oversight in critical judicial appointments, there are now signs that the government is trying to figure out how to roll back the collegium system by which judges select their own with no external inputs. The Supreme Court’s collegium, which is made up of the Chief Justice of India and four other senior judges, recommends appointments to the court after a mandatory...

The government is planning a complete overhaul of the way the power sector is financed and subsidies are delivered, attempting to address a funding shortfall delaying the construction of electricity projects and worsening a chronic power deficit that threatens to sap growth in India’s energy-hungry economy.This exercise is based on a report submitted by a panel headed by Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, to the power...