-The Hindu   An interaction scheduled between Press Council of India chairman Justice Markandey Katju and journalists on Saturday was cancelled after disagreements on the format of the event. Justice Katju, who has been the focus of attention for his recent controversial comments on the quality of journalists and the regulation of the news Media, had agreed to make a speech at the Press Club, following which the floor was to be thrown...

-Live Mint   In an unprecedented move, farmers in East Godavari and adjoining districts of Andhra Pradesh declared a crop holiday last season, refusing to cultivate paddy in this fully irrigated region of the state. Farmers say the reason for this drastic step is that cultivating paddy has become unremunerative and they are left with no other choice. The agrarian crisis and its neglect by successive governments are responsible for the low...

-The Times of India   As sports minister Ajay Maken sets out to getting the revised National Sports Development Bill tabled in the winter session of parliament, the biggest opposition is once again going to come from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). BCCI, who have refused to come under the purview of Right To Information (RTI) Act, has been vocal about its objection to the B. Board officials...

This seems to be season for Human Development Reports (HDRs). UNDP's global HDR for 2011 has been published. In that, the headline grabbing number was that India is ranked 134th out of 186 countries. This ranking is based on HDI (human development index), a composite indicator with three sub-heads of health (life expectancy), education (literacy, gross enrollment ratio) and PPP per capita income. HDI ranges between 0 and 1 and...

Justice Markandey Katju has done his own mission, supervising the responsible functioning of the Media, a disservice. By criticising the Media through sweeping generalisations and with extreme naïvete, he has got its back up, provoking a sharp reaction from the Editors Guild instead of a willingness to talk and sort things out. A lifetime spent in issuing obiter dicta has ill-equipped Justice Katju in the communication skills needed to carry...