1894 law should immediately make way for fair enactment Observing that the 1894 Act has become outdated as it does not provide for rehabilitation of persons displaced from their land, although their livelihood is affected by compulsory acquisition, a Bench of the Supreme Court has called for replacement of the law without delay. Writing the judgment, Justice R.M. Lodha said all concerned felt that the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act “do...

It has to be but a means to development, not an end in itself Is India doing marvellously well, or is it failing terribly? Depending on whom you speak to, you could pick up either of those answers with some frequency. One story, very popular among a minority but a large enough group—of Indians who are doing very well (and among the media that cater largely to them)—runs something like...

The former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, on Sunday visited the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) and asserted that there was no need for any panic as it had state-of-the-art safety features. At the same time, Mr. Kalam made it clear that he had not come as an emissary of the Union government and would not be a mediator between the nuclear establishment and protesters opposing the plant. “I am completely satisfied and...

Poverty lines have been in the news again. This round started when a Planning Commission affidavit to the Supreme Court placing the poverty line at Rs 26 per capita per day (rural), Rs 32 (urban), raised a furore over the use of these to set a cap on the percentage of the population covered by the food security Bill. Since then, the pendulum has swung to the other extreme. The latest...

-PTI   Rice procurement stood at 9.04 million tonnes in the current kharif marketing season (October-September) so far. According to the official data, 90,46,356 tonnes of rice has been procured by various government agencies by November 4, 2011. Punjab has procured 69,56,290 tonnes, while Haryana and Tamil Nadu have procured 18,09,194 tonnes and 1,76,486 tonnes, respectively in the 2011-12 kharif season so far. Food Corporation of India (FCI), government's nodal procurement agency, along with other...