-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The comptroller and auditor general (CAG) is finalizing a report on yet another instance of massive loss to the state exchequer because of favours shown to private parties by the political establishment. The CAG's audit report on the Taj Expressway project could also find place among India's biggest scams, with successive Uttar Pradesh governments being accused of causing loss of thousands of crores to the...

-The Times of India MANGALORE: The India wing of human rights watchdog Amnesty International is seriously looking into the issue of undertrials' unwarranted long stay in prisons and is likely to set up a Bail fund to secure their early release. Amnesty International secretary general Salil Shetty told TOI: "India has over 2.5 lakh undertrials, including 8,940 in Karnataka, as of December 2012. Of these, over 2,000 have been in jail for...

-The Times of India CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu, home to several rare flora and fauna, is lagging behind many other states in implementing the National Biological Diversity Act, 2002, according to data released by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), an autonomous statutory body. Under the Act, the NBA coordinates the conservation activities across the country, primarily through state biodiversity boards and biodiversity management committees (BMC) constituted at grassroots level. BMCs work towards preserving biological...

-The Hindustan Times On 16 December, D, 25, a Kolkata resident, was returning home, from the fashion boutique he owns, when some people on the street threw eggs at him. A day or two earlier, a group of approximately seven men from the neighbourhood had blocked his way, demanding to know how much they would have to pay him in return for sexual favours. He was also groped on the street....

-The Indian Express The Justice Ganguly case shows up some lacunae. For one, the sexual harassment act will have to be changed to extend to unpaid interns. There is immense pressure from women activists, the media and some political parties for retired Supreme Court justice, A.K. Ganguly, to resign as the chairperson of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission for allegedly harassing a young intern. The courage of the young intern in...