Civil society” has dominated popular discussion for the last few months. It may be hard to recall how rare the use of the term was only some years back. In 2002, when I published a book analysing the role of civil society in preventing, dampening or inciting communal riots, I was asked in a television interview whether I was overstating the power of civil society vis-à-vis the state. And in...

During a meeting between Union Food Minister K V Thomas and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday, apprehensions were reportedly expressed regarding the National Advisory Council (NAC) coming out with its own version of the food security Bill. The government has been in the process of drafting the proposed Bill based on the recommendations of Sonia Gandhi-led NAC. While the meeting was essentially a consultation between the two ministers over various...

-The Indian Express   Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was simply stating the obvious on Sunday when he said, “Parliament is supreme.” Neither did he depart from a common understanding of the scheme of things under our Constitution when he clarified that it is Parliament’s right to decide on Legislation and nobody else can presume to lay down deadlines for bills to be passed. Yet, such had been the abdication of argument...

-Deccan Chronicle   Even as the Right to Education (RTE) Act is yet to be implemented in schools, and the details are being endlessly debated, experts are now wondering whether the government intends to amend the RTE. Legal experts perceive a change in the way this free and compulsory education for all Legislation is mandated. There is pressure on the Ministry of Human Resource Development as well several petitions lined up...

-IANS   The West Bengal government Tuesday tabled a Legislation in the state assembly in its bid to return a portion of the land acquired by the erstwhile Left Front regime from "unwilling owners" for setting up the now abandoned Tata Motors small car factory in Singur . The 'Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill, 2011' was placed in the house by Commerce and Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee. The bill seeks to scrap...