-The Times of India The National Advisory Council (NAC) on Friday approved mandatory public consultation on new laws and rules before they are brought to Parliament. This will for the first time provide an institutional structure for civil society representatives to express their views. The "pre-legislative process'' was brought in the wake of increasing dissatisfaction over legislations piloted by the government, especially the Lokpal Bill. The move was initiated by NAC...

-The Hindu     Well-known feminist Kamla Bhasin says that Indian men will have to change, not to support women but to save themselves from being brutalised by centuries of exposure to patriarchy. "Mian, aap mein kuch kami hai" (Gentleman, there is something wrong with you)." Some months ago, when Kamla Bhasin, well-known feminist from Delhi, came up with this retort to Aamir Khan on his headline-grabbing tele-show Satyameva Jayate on saying that he...

-The Indian Express CBI director Ranjit Sinha admitted to the Supreme Court on Friday that the agency's status report on the coal blocks allocation case had been shown to Law Minister Ashwani Kumar "as desired by him". The report was also shared with a senior official each from the Prime Minister's Office and the coal ministry, the CBI director said. The government has been in turmoil - facing demands for an explanation...

-The Hindu Hyderabad: Sixteen MPs of Opposition parties, have appealed to the Centre to withdraw the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill in view of the flaws it had. The MPs pointed to the inherent conflict of interest in the Bill in that it was introduced in Parliament by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology which is also promoting GM crops. The provisions showed limited public participation, no transparency, lack...

-The Hindustan Times It never rains, it pours as far as the troubles of the UPA government go in recent times. Any hope that the scams which have been unearthed and their aftermath could be put behind it as it enters the final phase of its tenure before elections 2014 has been belied after the disclosure by the Central Bureau of Investigation director Ranjit Sinha that the agency had shown its...