-The Indian Express State institutions have been complicit in denying justice to the victim. The criminal justice system of the country is “virtually collapsing” and “as it is slow, inefficient and ineffective, people are losing confidence in the system”. This was stated by the Justice Malimath Committee (2000-2003), which had been constituted to recommend reforms in the criminal justice system. Thanks to certain lobbies, the salient recommendations of the Committee were...

-Down to Earth The National Democratic Alliance government's move is an assault on the independence of information commissioners, writes former Central Information Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu Alas! I thought the Narendra Modi government is strong enough after its re-election. But now it is scared of the Right to Information (RTI) and the Chief Information Commission (CIC), as if they are monsters who can harm the power of the powerful rulers. The Information Commissioner...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Drivers and riders will become “ATMs for traffic policemen and transport department officials”, traffic and safety experts have cautioned the government while suggesting that preparatory steps be taken before high penalties for violations kick in. Amendments in the motor vehicle law have been passed by Rajya Sabha and are all set to pass THRough Lok Sabha on Monday where BJP has a majority. One of the...

-PTI Job cuts may affect technical staff too, says dealers’ association Around two lakh jobs have been laid off across automobile dealerships in the country in the last THRee months as vehicle retailers attempt to tide over the impact of the unprecedented sales slump, according to industry body FADA. With no immediate signs of recovery, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) fears that the job cuts may continue with more showrooms being...

-The Hindu Cutting down the Forests Right Act will only weaken the conservation regime and affect the rights of forest dwellers I have had the good fortune to work in, visit and learn about protected areas and wildlife habitats across India since 1980. Beginning in the late 1980s, I have written and spoken about the ecology and conservation of Indian wildlife to numerous and varied audiences. One question that is invariably asked...