With its politically crucial food security agenda facing time-consuming scrutiny by a parliamentary panel, the government is considering the option of rolling out key elements of the programme through an executive decision that can be later subsumed by an act of Parliament. Concerned the bill that negotiated divides within the government and involved discussions with the Sonia Gandhi-headed National Advisory Council might be delayed till later this year, the Centre could...

A desperate state is making Maoists out of innocents Arun Ferreira smiles easily. The four years and eight months of incarceration, as an alleged Naxalite/Maoist, sit lightly on the 40-year-old quintessential Bandra boy. Released on January 5 from Nagpur Central Jail—acquitted in 10 of the 11 cases and bailed in one—Ferreira is taking his time to readjust to his life with family and friends in Mumbai. He must build anew...

US-based companies Google Inc., Facebook Inc., Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. and others were issued summons by a Delhi court on Friday in connection with criminal charges for “objectionable” material hosted online.   Simultaneously, the Union government sanctioned the prosecution of the companies on its behalf.   Metropolitan magistrate Sudesh Kumar directed representatives of the global companies to be present in his court on 13 March. The summons will be served at their registered...

-The Hindu   The Union government has directed the Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to take action for the exploitation of Jarawa tribal women, who were made to dance semi-nude before tourists. Tribal Affairs Minister Krishna Chandra Deo told journalists that the Centre had directed the Lt. Governor to bring the culprits to book and enquire the circumstances in which the tribal women were subjugated to such abominable repression and prevent...

-Khaleej Times Online   Maoists have stepped up their campaign against the proposed bauxite mining in north coastal Andhra Pradesh, with the extremists asking lawmakers to pass a resolution in the state Legislative Assembly pledging not to take up mining in the tribal areas. The outlawed outfit, CPI (Maoist), put up banners and posters and distributed pamphlets in several villages in Visakhapatnam district warning of serious consequences if the legislators went ahead with...