-The Hindu Forest rights campaigners have slammed the satellite image-based study on the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in Maharashtra as "deeply faulty and obviously biased," arguing that it manipulates data and facts to make a case against the Act. Countering the report which a private company prepared at the behest of the State Forest Department, a critique by Madhu Sarin and others of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity...

-The Indian Express On January 12 last year, RTI applicant Dinesh Suryavanshi had sought information related to class XI admissions under Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. Even after two appeals and a showcause notice issued to education department officials, he is still waiting for a response from them. "I wanted to know about the total number of seats reserved for SC, ST candidates, the stipulated seats in management courses and the...

-Frontline The Land Acquisition Bill runs into a roadblock as political parties fail to reach an agreement on the substantive features of the draft Bill or on the amendments proposed. The efforts of the United Progressive Alliance government to broker a consensus on the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2012, which has been pending for over a year, have not paid off not because...

-Outlook India has long been the sleeping giant of global agriculture. But its misguided policies while boosting short-term output, yet may transform India into a food importer After decades on the sidelines of international agricultural trade, India was poised last year to become a major food supplier, overtaking traditional exporters of food grain and meat. This could prove to be flash in the pan. The sudden rise and fall of India...

-PTI With a view to strengthen safety of passengers and check crimes against women in trains and stations, Railways will soon launch a 24x7 helpline which will be tracked on real-time basis across the country. The proposed pan India toll-free helpline, first-of-its- kind in Railways, is going to be launched shortly to provide round-the-clock security-related assistance to passengers, a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the project said. Passengers can use the helpline...