-Kafila.org The village of Majure, in Chitradurga district, Karnataka, is once again in the news. It made the national headlines in 1998 when dalits in the village lodged a police complaint against members of the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat castes for an attack on their hamlet. As a consequence, several people were put behind bars. This time round, however, no formal complaint was lodged. Not that things have improved (rather, one could...

-The Telegraph The Prime Minister’s Office is playing referee in the tussle between the environment ministry and the National Highway Authority of India over clearance for road projects. In a meeting of stakeholders held in the PMO today, the environment ministry agreed to relax norms for project clearance and issue fresh guidelines that would simultaneously address green concerns and not stall road development. The NHAI has also given an understanding that if clearance...

-Economic and Political Weekly The vigorous public discourse following the recent brutal gang rape and mutilation of the 23-year-old in Delhi is a positive sign but hopefully the demand for quick solutions will not ignore the complexities involved in dealing with all forms of violence against women. There are also other connected issues that require urgent attention including the description of a rape as a "state worse than death", making out...

-Outlook Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court today directed the Centre to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against it for not implementing an order to provide natural gas to the city at the rates on par with Mumbai and Delhi under administered price mechanism (APM). "To date no special leave petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging our order dated July 25, 2012.... We direct (Centre) to file an...

-The Hindu Beniwal’s claim of exclusive right to appoint Lokayukta is not in keeping with spirit of Constitution: Bench The Supreme Court has reiterated that the Governor is bound to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, unless he acts as persona designata i.e., eo nomine under a particular statute or acts in his own discretion under the exceptions provided for in the Constitution itself. Upholding the appointment of...