-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The days of politicians fighting elections from jail are over. The Supreme Court has ruled that a person, who is in jail or in police custody, cannot contest elections to legislative bodies. The far-reaching order was passed by the apex court along with its landmark verdict that MPs, MLAs and MLCs would be disqualified the day they are convicted. This double whammy against criminals in Indian...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Yesterday's Supreme Court judgment debarring convicted lawmakers from continuing in their Houses has raised a tricky question: what happens if and when a convicted and thus disqualified legislator secures an acquittal from a higher court? Consider this hypothetical scenario: Some 160 candidates who face criminal charges are elected to the Lok Sabha in next year's elections. (Some 162 among the current Lok Sabha's members face criminal charges, so the...

-The Hindu The hostility to the UPA's food security Bill from both its allies and the Opposition stems not from substantial objections to the draft law itself but from other political grouses The decision to bring an ordinance to provide food security to 67 per cent of the country's population was received with much hostility by the Opposition parties last week. The latter seemed surprised that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) could...

-The Hindustan Times New Delhi: After reading about the deaths reportedly linked to drinking of contaminated water at NCERT colony in south Delhi, if the quality of water you drink is worrying you, your anxiety is not unfounded. Chances are your water supply would be quality checked only once in 27 years. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) lifts on an average 400 samples across the city per day. However, considering the number of...

Groundwater, which irrigates half of Indian agriculture and provides 85% of rural drinking consumption, is an increasingly scarce resource. There is a growing understanding that it must be approached as a common property resource for collective benefit. It is best understood and managed by those who live near them and use them rather than agencies who visit sporadically - that is the central premise of efforts around participatory groundwater management....