-NDTV Gholgagon, Madhya Pradesh: Twenty protestors, from Gholgagon village along the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh, have been standing in waist-deep water for the last 25 days. The soles of their feet are completely stripped of skin and are infected with fungal sores. "Our health condition is deteriorating, epidermal skin from the soles of our feet is peeling. This has made standing and walking very difficult," says 63-year-old Sakku Bai, who's been...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The capital's babus are feeling wanted. At last, a government seems to care about their "happiness", "satisfaction" and "contribution". A recent government circular prods civil servants to do voluntary social service for "internal happiness". Another requests each soon-to-retire official to write a 1,000-word paper on his or her "outstanding" contribution - for their own "satisfaction" and to inspire junior colleagues. They must, however, restrict themselves to personal innovations that...

-The New Indian Express   HYDERABAD: We are often fascinated by the bright colours and unusual sizes of vegetables and greens, one of the reasons that compel us to purchase them. In order to meet the demands of consumption, a lot of chemical enhancers are used while farming these vegetables and greens, to make them look much more attractive. Even though most of us are aware of the fact that chemicals are used...

-The Hindu Building on the work by RTI activists, India needs to set up a mechanism that can make for accountability on the sources and utilisation of party funds Throughout the world, political parties collect funds to build and sustain the organisation, to train party cadres and fight elections. Recognising that they are the main link to the citizens (as voters) and, by implication, the mainstay of democracy, many countries, including India,...

-The Hindu Cleansing political parties and elections of illegal money is the first step towards tackling the evil of graft Corruption is nothing but a reflection of the distribution of power within societies. The country is where it is because the political system is self-perpetrating and no party is accountable to anyone except a coterie of people that dominates all decisions. Unless the political system is accountable, going after individual cases of...