-The Hindustan Times   Different Central government departments have different interpretations of the transparency law, Right To Information, when it came to disclosing information. While some government departments have proactively disclosed the information, others have denied similar information citing prohibitory clauses of the RTI law. This reporter had filed a RTI application with the Cabinet Secretariat seeking copies of the minutes of the Group of Ministers and Empowered Group of Ministers constituted since June...

-The Business Standard Industrial town Kalinga Nagar in Jajpur district on Monday observed Saheed Divas, marking the sixth anniversary of the violent clash between the tribals opposing land acquisition and the police forces that claimed 14 lives. The tribals were protesting the construction of boundary wall of the Tata Steel’s six million tonne steel project in the area when they clashed with the security forces. Those killed included 13 tribals and one...

-The Tribune   Industry is the first to be blamed for pollution. However, in Punjab, which has only a modest industrial base, a major part of the total pollution comes from agriculture. The Green Revolution, with its concept of heavy use of fertilisers, pesticides, and other chemicals, has caused a serious imbalance in the environment. To raise levels of production, farmers often indulge in injudicious use of such inputs, the use of which...

-The Hindustan Times   Had the world's leaders decided to ensure that global warming would increase to 3 to 4 degrees Celsius, perhaps to 5 degrees Celsius, instead of the 1.5-to-20 degrees Celsius threshold (over preindustrial temperatures) that scientists believe earth can tolerate, they couldn't have acted more purposively than they did at the Durban climate conference. If this sounds like a harsh judgement that radically differs from the official spin that...

More than Rs 18,700 crore of unaccounted wealth has been unearthed across the country after searches were conducted by the income tax officials in the last two years, the Central Board of Direct Taxes said on Friday. The body has, however, denied any harassment has been caused to any industrialist or business establishment anywhere in the country due to I-T search and survey operations. "Search and seizure is conducted on the basis...