-The Hindu Both documents extensively discuss need for competitive bidding for scarce natural resources The fate of the Ashok Chawla Committee report on the allocation of natural resources suggests a wider government unwillingness to accept competitive bidding, auctions and market-linked pricing for scarce, natural resources lies at the heart of its 2G review petition. The Committee was set up on January 31, 2011, at the peak of the 2G scam expose and just...

Recent debates on Internet censorship in India have focused to the allegedly free-for-all nature of the internet. Those of us who have argued against internet censorship have been somewhat misrepresented as arguing for absolute freedom whereby the reasonable restrictions laid down in Article 19 (A) of the Constitution of India don’t apply. Nothing could be farther than the truth. It has been said that the internet can be used to incite...

-The Hindu Suspicious of BDA's track record, they continue their blockade of notified land seeking full compensation The Bangalore Development Authority appears to be facing a trust deficit as its officials attempt to pacify agitating farmers who have put a stop to the progress of the Arkavathy Layout. The project has not seen progress since March 21 when farmers blocked BDA officials from entering the notified land. In recent days, the BDA...

BHOPAL: The state government move to appoint chief information commissioner (CIC) by the end of April may hit a roadblock with the Supreme Court stating Friday that it would lay down guidelines to ensure that posts of information commissioners at the centre and state commissions do not become "property of a political set-up". The post of state's CIC is lying vacant following the retirement of P P Tiwari on March 26...

-The Times of India The Maharashtra government is under the scanner for lack of transparency in facilitating planned hill city of Lavasa in state's Pune district. The CAG report has slammed the state "for failing to adhere to regulations, amending existing laws for the project, disturbing the already ecologically fragile environment and violating green norms''. "The project seems to be driven by private interest and not by public interest," the report said. The...