-The Hindustan Times Environmentalists have been telling us about the presence of DDT residues in human milk and even traces of it in the blood of penguins. This tells us how widespread the use and abuse of this chemical is, but it took us more than 40 years to realise that DDT is a harmful persistent organic pollutant. While the effort is to phase out the harmful chemical, I am worried about the...

-The Hindustan Times Don’t dismiss the continuing smog as a mere weather phenomenon, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) warned in its latest report released on Tuesday. The CSE made light of the Delhi government’s attribution of the smog to the approaching winter and pointed out the real reason —manifold increase in pollution levels. It warned that whenever the smog lifts it will come back with renewed vigour, as the...

-The Hindustan Times The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) should be given constitutional status empowering them with appropriate autonomy and independence to make them effective instruments for fighting corruption, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai said on Wednesday. “If you really want some of these institutions to deliver, you must take a risk and ... take courage to make them constitutional,” he said, while speaking...

-The Hindustan Times It will be mandatory for LPG connection-holders to have a bank account, and later an Aadhaar number, to claim the annual subsidy of about Rs. 3,000 for six cylinders. A senior government official told HT that the approval of the Cabinet will be sought shortly to introduce the rule, which will apply to all families. Once it comes into force, you will have to pay the full cost of the subsidised...

-The Hindustan Times Mumbai: The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), a women's group, plans to write to the state authorities over the restricted entry to women at dargahs in the city. A group of women from the organisation had visited the Haji Ali shrine in August. The ban over the entry of women into the sanctum sanctorum triggered their survey. Of the 20 city dargahs visited in September, seven did not allow...