-Outlook Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) today sought a report from the State Government on the collapse of an overhead water tank here in which seven persons were killed and 35 others injured. Taking a cognisance of media reports on the incident, MPHRC issued notices to Urban Administration and Development Department's Principal Secretary and Chief Engineer, and Bhopal civic chief, directing them to submit a report on the collapse within...

-The Times of India The Rajya Sabha Select Committee on Monday adopted draft report on the Lokpal Bill. The select committee has also taken care of the differences over federal Rights of states on appointment of Lokayukta. According to TV reports, the panel has sought that the prime minister be brought under the purview of Lokpal barring departments like Intelligence, Atomic Energy which are RTI exempted. The panel has also recommended that a...

-The Times of India How can a right given under one Act be a criminal offence under another, members of a Parliamentary standing committee have asked officials from the Union environment ministry, raising concern about conflict between the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, and the Indian Forest Act (IFA), 1927. The House panel on science and technology and environment and forests headed by T Subbarami Reddy of Congress was gathering evidence on...

-PTI Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said censorship was no answer to irresponsible journalism and favoured self regulation by media. "As a country, we believe in complete independence of the media from external control," Singh said in a message on National Press Day on Friday. "It is true that sometimes irresponsible journalism can have serious consequences for social harmony and public order, which the public authorities have an obligation to maintain, but...

-Outlook Bhopal: With dharnas, rallies and fasts not drawing much attention from the government, people in Madhya Pradesh have resorted to unique ways of protests that have been taken notice of and provided some relief to protesters. In the last few months, Madhya Pradesh witnessed three different kinds of protests that drew the attention of media and the government. A couple of months back, villagers held a 'Jal Satyagraha' against submergence of fertile...