-The Hindu Giving a distinct advantage to the urban English medium-educated students, the changed pattern of the Civil Services examination was notified by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Tuesday. Though the motto of the UPSC was to establish a level playing field with increased weightage for the General Studies component, introduction of an additional English language paper and restrictions on choosing languages as optional papers have put many aspirants in...

-The Indian Express More than six years after it gave the go-ahead to amend the RTI Act, 2005 to, among other things, exclude public notings on files by officials from being accessed under the transparency law, the Cabinet is expected to withdraw the move when it meets on Thursday. Sources told The Indian Express that the decision comes after UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi indicated to the government her opposition to the proposed...

Noting that many young people join Indian Police Service (IPS) only when they don't get their first choice of job in the civil services - specifically Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or Indian Foreign Service (IFS) -- a parliamentary panel has suggested a separate examination for IPS where "attitude and aptitude" of aspirants are thoroughly tested so that the quality of 'service' is not compromised. Asking the government to "explore the possibility...

A visually challenged woman who cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) with distinction in 2008 but was denied posting got justice after a four-year battle and the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Purnima Jain, with about 75% visual disability, has been offered an Indian Railway Personnel Services (IRPS) posting under Group B of Class I. Although Purnima is willing to take up the new job, she isn't satisfied with...

The youth will not take no for an answer. Five years on, the RTI comes of age. At four feet something, Santosh’s energy belies her petite frame. The school dropout was introduced to RTI through activist Arvind Kejriwal, and now, at Parivartan’s Sundar Nagri office, she holds fort, helping others acquire everything from BPL and ration cards to school admissions through RTI. Threats and attacks by local authorities who dubbed her...