At a time of national uproar over corruption and the Lokpal Bill, the government is proposing to enact a law making it compulsory for every ministry and department to act within 30 days on complaints from the public. The law will set up a mechanism similar to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, and dovetails with anna hazare’s key demand of a “citizens’ charter” to deal with public grievances. Under the proposed...

India Inc too wants an honest day’s work On August 22, a public holiday across north India, Sunil Sirohi, a middle-aged IT executive, joined Ramlila Maidan’s anti-corruption agitators with wife Jyoti and a pre-teen son. “It’s the first such movement we’ve been part of,” he says. One of the attractions was bringing young Siddhartha up-to-date on anna hazare, the self-styled Gandhian from Maharashtra who has become the public face of...

Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief Ashok Singhal on Sunday declared that the cadre of the right-wing organisation was involved in anna hazare's movement against corruption. The assertion only confirmed speculation that the Sangh Parivar was supporting Anna. Singhal praised VHP members for having done an "extremely good job" in making Anna's movement a success. "Members of the Dharma Yatra Mahasangh, a wing of the VHP, had opened stalls at Ramlila Maidan to offer food...

NGOs differ on Jan Lokpal, pick on Team Anna’s shortcomings Conflict Amongst NGOs?     * Great response to Anna seen as success of civil society     * NGOs agree on wiping off corruption in government, not on solutions     * They celebrate the middle class finding voice; but mourn lack of reach among villagers     * Divergence in views seen as healthy for debate; onus on govt to take final call *** First the good news:...

Shehla Masood had to die because the state couldn’t protect her Shehla Masood’s worst fears came to pass on August 16: she was shot dead in front of her house in Bhopal at around 11 am. An RTI activist who had taken up a variety of issues, from good governance, transparency and police reforms to tiger conservation, and who had been collecting evidence using the RTI Act since 2005, she...