-The Hindustan Times The Central Bureau of Investigation said on Friday that the law minister had been given access to a draft copy of its report into the coal blocks allocation scam, prompting furious Opposition calls for his resignation and putting at risk the functioning of Parliament next week. CBI director Ranjit Sinha submitted a highly unusual affidavit to the Supreme Court saying the agency had shared the draft with minister Ashwani...

-The Hindustan Times It never rains, it pours as far as the troubles of the UPA government go in recent times. Any hope that the scams which have been unearthed and their aftermath could be put behind it as it enters the final phase of its tenure before elections 2014 has been belied after the disclosure by the Central Bureau of Investigation director Ranjit Sinha that the agency had shown its...

-The Telegraph Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held consultations with senior leaders of his government after the Central Bureau of Investigation admitted to the Supreme Court that it had shared its status report on the coal-block allocation scam with ministers and officials. CBI director Ranjit Sinha said in his affidavit that the agency had shared the report with Union law minister Ashwani Kumar "as desired by him" and that senior officials of the...

-The Hindu Chandigarh: The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab will launch a nation-wide protest against the Centre's proposed move to impose wealth tax on agricultural land. Describing the decision as a blow to debt-ridden farmers, media advisor to the Chief Minister Harcharan Singh Bains said here on Thursday that the SAD- BJP alliance will also launch state-wide peaceful dharnas from May 2. A decision to this effect was taken at...

-Live Mint Mani Shankar Aiyar, India's first panchyati raj minister, talks about the challenges the institutions face On Wednesday, India marked 20 years of panchayati raj, an exercise in devolving power to people at the grassroots. Rajya Sabha memberMani Shankar Aiyar was India's first panchyati raj minister, appointed to the newly created ministry in 2004. He headed a committee that examined the reasons why attempts at sharing power with self-governance units haven't...