A PILOT study to assess free treatment for the poor in Delhi’s private hospitals, conducted by Oxfam, revealed that most such hospitals are not offering the mandatory free treatment to poor.   The study, held in collaboration with a Delhi-based NGO Sama, was based on the findings of interviews with administrative and finance department officials at nine private hospitals, built on subsidised land obtained from the government. As per a Delhi High Court...

First such verdict by Election Commission The Election Commission delivered a historic verdict on Thursday by disqualifying Uttar Pradesh MLA Umlesh Yadav from contesting again for three years for not including in her official accounts of expenditure the amount she spent on advertisements in two Hindi dailies that were masquerading as news items. Umlesh Yadav is the wife of liquor baron and billionaire strongman D.P. Yadav and mother of Vikas Yadav, the...

-The Economic Times   The Supreme Court has issued notices to social activist Anna Hazare on a public interest litigation, seeking direction to CBI to investigate 'financial irregularities' in his trust. The court also sought response from Hazare on the plea seeking his prosection for alleged siphoning of funds. A bench comprising Justice Aftab Alam and Justice Ranjana Desai also sought responses from the Centre, CBI and the Maharashtra Government on the...

-The Hindu   The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed all States and Union Territories to build toilets, particularly for girls, in all government schools by the end of November. A Bench headed by Justice D.K. Jain asked all governments to take immediate steps for this and file their compliance report before the deadline fixed by it. In case of any problem, the governments will at least provide temporary toilets for the students by November-end...

Just months after the 1984 gas leak at Union Carbide's plant here, the Indian government agreed to the 'terms' set by the company on compensation to be paid to victims, a Right to Information (RTI) activist has claimed. Not only that, the government treated the world's worst industrial disaster as a 'railway accident'. 'We have obtained top secret documents dated Feb 28 and March 5, 1985, that show that Union Carbide...