The Planning Commission's Approach Paper to the Twelfth Plan sticks with the neoliberal agenda despite claims of inclusive growth. INCLUSIVE was one word that came up time and again in the early announcements of the Planning Commission on the Twelfth Five-Year Plan. “Faster, Sustainable and More Inclusive Growth” was the slogan coined for the Plan and there was the promise of widespread consultations as never before as part of the processes...

Any new system for the socio-economic progress of Dalits and other vulnerable sections must not lose sight of Special Component Plan goals. THE Planning Commission's “Approach to the 12th Five Year Plan” deals with the Scheduled Castes (S.C.s) briefly in a portion of Chapter 11 titled “Social and Regional Equity”. It, however, significantly mentions the need to devise a new system that can overcome the difficulties experienced with regard to the...

-The Indian Express   The Union cabinet has approved a draft of the new Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (MMDR) bill, which has long been expected to replace the antiquated legislation that partly governs the mining sector. There are important issues that still need to be worked out: implementing the bill in its current form would be severely problematic, and there are several loopholes that might cause the effect of the...

-The Indian Express   With corruption emerging as a national issue, the government on Wednesday unveiled a host of steps as part of its anti-graft drive, including setting up of 71 fast-track special CBI courts, fixing of a limit of three months to grant sanction for prosecution of “tainted” officials, and abolishment of discretionary powers enjoyed by ministers — as recommended by a Group of Ministers on corruption. Announcing that the government has...

-The Indian Express   Anna Hazare goes for broke again — after having ensured that Parliament was committed to taking his version of the Lokpal bill as a starting point, he now threatens another insurgency against the Congress-led government at the Centre if the bill does not become law by the end of the winter session. He and his team will campaign in the five states that head for elections next year,...