-Live Mint Why do the central and state govts deliberately undermine the constitutionally created panchayats? The collector of any district in India would be heading 100 to 150 committees related to various development initiatives in the area. Collectors often don't get time to prepare for or preside over the meetings of these committees-imagine what happens to implementation then. On the other hand, the heads of district panchayats and municipalities in the...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved proposed amendments in the Prevention of Corruption Act, providing a safeguard to retired government officials from unnecessary prosecution for any bona-fide mistake and also broadening the definition of bribery to make a commercial entity liable for failing to prevent bribery of an official. The proposed changes - Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 - also provide for allowing confiscation of...

-The Times of India Differences over what constitutes as a woman's right to her marital property in case of a divorce forced the Union Cabinet to refer the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill to a Group of Ministers (GoM) on Wednesday. The law ministry had suggested that a woman be given a share in residential property of the husband, including inherited and inheritable premises, in case of divorce, while the ministry of women...

-The Hindu Kolkata: Soni Sori, the tribal school teacher accused of acting as a courier between Essar Steel and the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), and Lingaram Kodopi, activist-journalist trained in Delhi, have been acquitted in one more crucial case by a Dantewada court. Fifteen others, including activists of various mainstream political parties, were also acquitted. Among them were Congress leader Vijay Sodi, CPI leader Lala Ram Kunjam and a panchayat...

-The Hindu The move may save the government around Rs. 5,000 crore   The Union Cabinet, on Wednesday, gave its go-ahead for slashing the subsidy on phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for this fiscal. The move is expected to save the government around Rs. 5,000 crore. The decision to cut subsidy has been taken in view of falling global prices. Despite the reduction in subsidy, the government is hopeful that the maximum retail price (MRP) of...