From the beginning of the proceedings today, speakers from Team Anna appeared to be pressing home one point above all: they had returned to Jantar Mantar with an agenda larger than the (Jan) Lokpal. The Bill must be passed this winter session, or else there would be a “jail bharo aandolan”, said Anna. “Not a single jail will remain empty,” he promised. But the larger goal was another law, or...
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Caught between quota and sub-quota by Vidya Subrahmaniam
Reservation for Muslims in jobs and education — feverishly anticipated over the past two years and expected to be announced ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections — might turn out to be a headache the Congress unthinkingly bought itself. As Muslim groups have been arguing, the route under the United Progressive Alliance government's consideration — a 6 per cent Muslim sub-quota within the 27 per cent OBC quota — would...
More »Retail FDI confronts twin hurdles by R Suryamurthy
Global retail chains looking to set up shop in India may face several challenges such as delay in the implementation of goods and services tax and restrictions imposed by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act, besides political opposition. These hurdles can be roadblocks in providing real benefits to farmers and consumers as intended by the government in opening the multi-brand retail sector to foreign direct investment. “GST (goods and services tax)...
More »Lokpal likely to be a constitutional body
-The Economic Times The standing committee vetting the Lokpal Bill has reached a consensus on making the proposed anti-graft ombudsman a constitutional body. The suggestion to upgrade the status of Lokpal to a constitutional body had first come from Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha MP from Amethi Rahul Gandhi. At its meeting on Thursday, all members of the standing committee, headed by Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, were unanimous that Lokpal...
More »UPA works on quota for Muslims by Sanjay K Jha
The Manmohan Singh government has decided to create a sub-quota for Muslims within the 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Castes (OBCs) and an announcement is likely before the Uttar Pradesh elections next summer. Sources said inter-ministerial consultations had been completed and the law ministry was finalising the contours of the proposal to be placed before the Union cabinet in the next few weeks. Indications are that a sub-quota of 6...
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