While A. Raja's alleged shenanigans in the Telecom Ministry have been grabbing all the headlines, some activists are now urging the CBI to focus its spotlight on the tainted DMK leader's earlier role as Environment Minister. For example, Mr. Raja granted Korean steel giant Posco its first major statutory clearance in 2007 by approving the captive port component of its controversial Rs. 52,000 crore steel plant project in Orissa. Interestingly,...

"The Earth upon which the sea, and the rivers and waters, upon which food and the tribes of man have arisen, upon which this breathing, moving life exists, shall afford us precedence in drinking." - Prithvi Sukta, Atharva Veda Land is life. It is the basis of livelihoods for peasants and indigenous people across the Third World and is also becoming the most vital asset in the global economy. As the...

If access to information is the first step towards empowerment, then it is important to make Internet accessibility a human right because a lot of useful information, particularly relating to government schemes, is either unpublished or inaccessible by other means for most citizens The government’s approach towards universal Internet access is marred by dichotomy. While the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, calls Internet one of the most effective means of...

-The Economic Times   Taking on the government, civil rights activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday went on a day-long fast at Rajghat, declaring that his agitation against corruption was the "second freedom struggle" and threatened another hunger strike from August 16 if Lokpal Bill is not passed by then. He accused the government of putting "hurdles" in the drafting of Lokpal Bill and trying to defame the civil society members of the...

-PTI   Threatening an armed rebellion, yoga guru Ramdev on Wednesday said he will raise a 11,000 force that will be trained to retaliate if authorities crackdown on their anti-corruption campaign, evoking a stern response from the government which termed it "anti-national". In Haridwar, Ramdev, who had struck a conciliatory tone on Tuesday, said he will form a force of 11,000 men and women to deal with police and anti-social elements attempting to disrupt...