-Governance Now Experts criticise CIC’s declaration that the attorney general is not a public authority, and thus cannot be under the ambit of RTI Act The chief information commission (CIC) might have struck another blow on the momentous Right to Information Act with its recent ruling that the attorney general (AG) is not bound to answer RTI queries. The declaration has drawn flak from RTI activists, experts and former information commissioners. According to the...

-The Indian Express A register of interest for Lok Sabha MPs could help shore up the credibility of the legislature In addition to the assets and liabilities that they declare to the Speaker, members of the Lok Sabha may now have to furnish a declaration of their business and financial interests in a separate register. The move, suggested by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), has been recommended by the ethics committee...

-The Business Standard The Bill will negatively impact new projects, with land acquisition cost going up by as much as 150%, say industry captains After the initial euphoria, leaders of India Inc are realising that the proposed Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill will not make their lives easier. Instead, it will negatively impact new projects, with land acquisition cost going up by as much as 150 per cent, making large projects...

-The Hindu The World Conference on International Telecommunication showed that countries are not yet ready to arrive at a consensus on regulation and control of the Internet The World Conference on International Telecommunication (WCIT) that concluded on December 14 saw much heated debate. Some countries wanted to use the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to gain intergovernmental control of the World Wide Web. Some saw it as an opportunity to democratise the Internet,...

-The Hindu A report prepared by the District Supply Officer (DSO), Alwar, highlights several areas where the pilot scheme falls short. Kotkasim: There are 25,843 ration card holders in Kotkasim district. However, bank accounts for the cash transfer have been opened only for 13,458 card holders – a little over 50%. Villagers asked to use their post office accounts, which were rejected as these accounts do not have online services. Other reasons...