The Aditya Birla Group increased its contribution to political parties about fourfold to Rs 30.5 crore in 2009-10 while the Bharti Group cut it from Rs 17 crore to zero.  The two main national parties, Congress and BJP, received Rs 84 crore and Rs 82 crore, respectively, as contribution from all sources while a regional party like Sharad Pawar's NCP obtained only Rs 3 crore.  The 2009-10 numbers of companies making legal...

The setting aside of 50% of seats in the proposed Lokpal for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, women and minorities, triggered a sharp debate within parties today around a central, normative question: should social diversity, especially inclusion of minorities, weigh in an empowered body to “fight corruption?”   While the BJP has opposed it and Team Anna, caught off-guard on a sensitive political issue, has declined to comment, legal experts...

-Times Now TV   It is allies versus the Congress over the draft Food Security Bill. Sources have told TIMES NOW that Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has expressed his reservations over the Food Bill over its huge financial implications on the Government as it proposes to increase food subsidy by over 30,000 crore on a Government already under massive financial stress and over the need for greater food grain procurement to...

Thousands of people came out in support of Anna Hazare's day-long fast at Jantar Mantar. However, there was no dearth of dissenting views either.  The All India Confederation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Organizations protested near the venue, demanding representation for minorities in the Lokpal committee. Their views were echoed in the speeches of leaders of CPI (M) and Samajwadi Party among others, who participated in a debate organized by...

-The Telegraph   Prior sanction shouldn’t be needed to prosecute any class of bureaucrats under any law, the parliamentary panel on the Lokpal bill has said in its report, which Team Anna dubbed a bid to “fool” people for ignoring its key demands. Another significant recommendation in the report, which was submitted today, is that the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) look into complaints of corruption against Group C & D employees alone. On including...