Next month, the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, one of the most powerful laws enacted in independent India, completes half a decade in the cause of transparent and accountable administration. It enables, on demand, access to information the State and Central governments have in their possession. It empowers Indian citizens to ask for and get specific information, subject to certain norms, from a Public Authority, “thus making its functionaries...

Despite various programmes initiated by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to improve the status of agriculture, famers' leaders strongly feel that not enough has been done and large numbers of farmers remain heavily in debt. 'Various flagship programmes by the UPA government, which started after 2004, have not proved helpful for farmers. Their economic policies are putting an adverse impact on agriculture sector but still nobody is bothered about it,'...

Existing and prospective industry and mining players of Jharkhand are apprehensive about the draft mining bill, which seeks to make them share 26 per cent of profits with locals. A group of ministers (GoM) approved the draft bill on September 17. Speaking to The Telegraph, Jindal Steel & Power Limited’s (JSPL) senior deputy general manager (corporate affairs) V.P. Sharan said: “The proposed clause — sharing profits with local people — sounds...

A common platform of several farmers groups, the Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers Movements, has charged the Central government with complete lack of transparency on the implications of the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement or CEPA with Japan and the inclusion of agriculture on its agenda. "Such EPAs, like other FTAs, go beyond what cannot be negotiated under the WTO and we are openly opposed to agriculture in the WTO, in...

The Indian government is debating whether it should still accept any development aid from Britain. India is currently the biggest recipient of UK development aid, receiving more than £800m (about $1.25bn) over the three years to 2011. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told the BBC no final decision had been made. Britain's Department for International Development (DfID) says it is reviewing its spending, and close dialogue with the Indian government will continue. The BBC's Chris...