C & D staff will also come under watchdog Refusing to be cowed down by pressure exerted by Team Anna, the government stood its ground on maintaiNINg the investigative independence of the Central Bureau of Investigation, as the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, cleared the draft of the controversial Lokpal Bill late on Tuesday eveNINg. It is now likely to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The...
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Cold wave in north India, toll 39
-PTI The entire north India shivered on Monday as 11 more people succumbed to the cold sweeping the region pushing the death toll to 39. Dense fog and dipping temperatures threw normal life out of gear at several places as NINe deaths occurred in Punjab and two in Uttar Pradesh since last eveNINg. The death count from the harsh weather has risen to 30 in Uttar Pradesh where Fatehgarh with a minimum...
More »GM research being conducted on 72 plant species
-PTI Research work related to genetic modification (GM) in the agriculture sector is being conducted on 72 crops/plant species, Parliament was informed. "According to information available with ICAR ( Indian Council of Agricultural Research), research related to genetic modification is currently being carried out in 72 crops/plant species," Minister of State for Agriculture Harish Rawat said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. GM research is being carried in cotton, soyabean, rice, maize,...
More »Maharashtra launches health scheme for poor by Amruta Byatnal
The Maharashtra government launched the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Arogya Yojana here on Sunday, enabling families with annual income of less than Rs. 1 lakh to avail free medical facilities worth Rs. 1.5 lakh. Health Minister Suresh Shetty announced that this scheme, when fully implemented, would benefit close to 2.5 crore families. However, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, while praising the scheme, lamented the rising rate of population in the State. Mr....
More »What’s Ailing RTI? by Shonali Ghosal
THE MERE suggestion of any amendment to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, sends civil society into a tizzy. Perhaps this level of anxiety is necessary to protect the common man’s most important tool to hold the government accountable. But what if the RTI is dying, not because of government intervention but negligence? The pendency of complaints and appeals in several states is on the rise, while the number of...
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