-The Indian Express Institutionalising a mandatory process of consultation and dialogue would democratise not just law-making, but the state itself The formal institutions of India's parliamentary democracy have provided little space for citizens' participation in the making of laws. This has not, however, prevented citizens and citizens' groups from making significant attempts to watch, critique and contribute to the process. In fact, in recent years, it is clear that the lack of...

-The Indian Express A sound whistleblowers' protection law is long awaited. It languishes in Parliament at the system's peril Nandi Singh, a resident of a remote village in Assam, was brutally attacked with axes in September 2012 as a result of a complaint filed by him regarding irregularities in the functioning of fair price shops supplying rations under the public distribution system. He succumbed to his injuries on the way to the...

-Right to Food Campaign and NCPRI Press Release: With the Parliament unable to function for weeks on end, critical social legislations are being held up. As political parties blame each other for this stalemate, the Indian people - especially the poor - are paying the price. Casualties of this blame game include the Food Security Bill, the Grievance Redressal Bill, and more.   6 May (Delhi): Speaking at a press conference organized to...

-The Times of India With over 16 activists killed and thousands under attack or threatened, RTI activists have demanded a stronger whistleblower law, including provisions for accountability and compensation for victims. The Whistleblowers Protection Bill is likely to come up in Parliament in the budget session starting next week. But activists feel that the Bill in its present form is not strong enough to prevent deaths. National Campaign for People's Right to...

-The Hindu Hyderabad: The appointment of Information Commissioners in Andhra Pradesh was going on in PPP (public-private partnership) mode despite the public protest and the Governor’s opposition, former Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh remarked here on Sunday. Speaking at the fourth national convention of the National Campaign for the People’s Right to Information (NCPRI) here, he said the Information Commission in AP was now packed with politicians against the spirit of the...