The daughter-in-law of a Right to Information (RTI) activist who exposed a pension scam in Haryana was allegedly murdered by the village council head involved in the scam. Sonu was killed when she tried to rescue her father-in-law, Jagdish Sharma, after the village head, Dharambir Malik, crushed Sharma’s legs under the wheels of his car near Bhuna in Fatehabad district, around 50 km from here. A murder case has been registered against...

India’s rulers have found a new vocation – maligning environmentalists and questioning the very idea of regulating industry for pollution. Thus, faced with criticism of Lavasa, an artificial gated city of the super-rich near Pune, in which his family has invested crores, Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, lashed out at well-known activist Medha Patkar and other “vested interests” for obstructing this “pioneering” project. Lavasa’s promoters built the project without seeking environmental clearance...

Why women in Punjab villages shy away from offering their super-nutritious panjiri to guests from abroad, and instead offer them chips and coke? And, is there any connection between panjiri and failure of the Punjab farmers to save their own traditional (sustainable) seeds in favour of hybrids or new varieties dished out by PAU or private companies? 'There is a deep connection between the two,' says Arshinder Kaur, India coordinator for international...

At least 10 RTI applicants have been killed over the past two years, with many others facing threats in their bid to expose corruption On a Republic Day when India celebrated 61 years of justice, equality and liberty, Amar Nath Pandey says he encountered the darkest moment of his life. In late evening on 26 January, a lone assailant leaped from the folds of darkness in the street outside his house in...

The RSS-sponsored Samajik Kumbh at Mandla, which is known for considerable tribal population and sizeable church presence, has created a sense of unease among Christians who fear they may be targets. The Kumbh — where lakhs of people are expected to gather from February 10  to 12 — at Mandla, 95 km from here, is being seen as a show of strength by the RSS. There is buzz that it is...