This newspaper recently hosted its annual debate on whether a resurgent Bengal was an impossible dream. Not surprisingly, the verdict of the 600-odd listeners went against the motion. This has as much to do with tangible societal gains as with an enveloping sense of crisis which embeds enormous opportunities. The glorious past of Bengal needs no persuasion. It was integrated with the rest of the world through trade and interchange...

No other government has brought such a black law against farmers: Ajit Singh  More farmers join the dharna on Parliament Street They will march in a procession on Thursday and hold a rally at Jantar Mantar In a formidable show of strength, farmers belonging to various organisations have begun to pour into the Capital to lodge their protest on the opening day of the winter session of Parliament here on...

Women and child development minister Krishna Tirath has ordered her ministry to initiate fresh consultations on a proposed law criminalising sexual harassment at the workplace, effectively delaying further a bill ready for cabinet approval. Tirath has asked the ministry to hold fresh consultations with women’s rights groups and lawyers who have raised concerns that the bill does not adequately protect victims of sexual harassment, The Telegraph has learnt. The minister’s...

The Indian government has ordered hundreds of paramilitary troops into eastern parts of the country where Maoist rebels have increasingly been taking control. This year, 669 people have died in violent incidents involving the Maoists. October was a particularly humiliating month for the Indian police. First, members of the Communist Party of India [Maoist] captured an Inspector and beheaded him. Then, a police station was attacked and two policemen killed....

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday reiterated his government’s commitment to ensuring better implementation of the Right to Information Act and asked the officials to take “firm steps” to enforce compliance with the statutory provisions. Presiding over a review meeting on the RTI Act at the State Secretariat here, Mr. Gehlot said a relatively better implementation of the law in Rajasthan had been appreciated all over the country. However,...