Budget 2011-12 and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. THREE decades ago, in the early years of the Special Component Plan (SCP) for Scheduled Castes – very recently renamed inappropriately as Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) – Indira Gandhi on her return as Prime Minister wrote two historical D.O. letters dated March 12, 1980, one to Central Ministers and the other to State Chief Ministers, regarding the SCP in the Central...

The Hindu report creates a storm; Opposition wants Manmohan to deny the charge or quit Government survives “on the strength of a political sin” Yechury: gross moral de-generation and crass political opportunism Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were marred on Thursday by repeated adjournments and uproar as a united Opposition demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh following fresh disclosures alleging bribing of MPs during the July 2008 confidence vote, which...

Unlike the 2G telecom scam which he blamed on compromises required for running a coalition government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accepted responsibility for the Supreme Court striking down the appointment of P J Thomas as chief vigilance commissioner. "I respect the judgment of the Supreme Court and I accept my responsibility," the PM said in Jammu on Friday, admitting that the buck stopped with him since the CVC decision did...

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday moved a motion in the Lok Sabha for the appointment of a 30-member Joint Parliamentary Committee to go into the 2G spectrum issue. The 20 members from the Lower House who would be in the JPC were named. The names of the remaining 10 who would represent the Upper House would be announced on March 1, when the House officially joins the JPC. The JPC...

Question hour in the Rajya Sabha ended five minutes before time Thursday following noisy scenes when a Congress MP alleged a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in Gujarat was involved in the killing of RTI activist Amit Jethva. Asking supplementaries on a question on the Right to Information (RTI), Congress MP from Gujarat Alka Balram Kshatriya alleged that a nephew of the BJP MP from Junagadh was involved in the killing...