-The Pioneer Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here on Saturday announced that farmers in the State will get interest-free loans. After ending his 24-hour fast observed to protest the hike in fertiliser prices over the last one year, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told mediapersons, “This zero per cent rate of interest would be applicable for loans given to farmers since April 1 this year.” When the Congress was in power, farmers used...

In September 2010, a large public meeting was held in Guwahati to discuss the impact of large hydroelectric projects in the Northeast. In attendance was Jairam Ramesh, then the minister of environment and forests in the government of India. Ramesh heard that the people of Assam were worried that the hundred and more dams being planned in Arunachal Pradesh would reduce water-flows, increase the chance of floods, and deplete fish...

-The Times of India   The new occupant of Rashtrapati Bhavan will have to be more transparent in making donations.  For, the Delhi high court on Thursday, in a significant ruling, held that under the Right to Information Act, every citizen is entitled to know the donations given by the President of India, as these are made out of public funds.  "Every citizen is entitled to know as to how the money, which is...

The OBC lobby within Congress blocked the government proposal to enhance 'creamy layer' for reservations to Rs 6 lakh, protesting it was on the lower side. The resistance prompted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to refer the issue for consultations.  The fresh look may be handed over to a group of ministers (GoM) or be done by social justice ministry that had moved the Cabinet note. Revised every four years, the 'creamy...

-The Times of India The Andhra Pradesh high court on Wednesday set aside the trial court order granting bail to former Karnataka minister and prime accused in an illegal mining case, Gali Janardhan Reddy.  The judge who granted bail to Reddy was suspended in May amid allegations of a cash-for-bail scam. The judge, Pattabhirama Rao, is facing criminal charges after being accused of granting bail for a bribe.  The court concurred with the...